There are a number of surprises in the first ever global index that ranks countries based on the ability of citizens to access information and computing technologies. The index was prepared and released by the International Telecommunications Union. Canada ranked 10th, the highest ranking among the world's developed economies. From the ITU press release:
The first global index to rank Information and Communication Technology (ICT) access has turned up some surprises. Slovenia ties France; and the Republic of Korea, usually not among the top ten in international ICT rankings, comes in fourth. Apart from Canada, ranked 10th, the top ten economies are exclusively Asian and European. The Digital Access Index (DAI) distinguishes itself from other indices by including a number of new variables, such as education and affordability. It also covers a total of 178 economies, which makes it the first truly global ICT ranking.
Scandinavia is the place to be, the ITU says, as far as access goes. Each Scandinavian country ranked among the top 10 for access: Sweden (1), Denmark (2), Iceland (3), Norway (5) and Finland (8).