Page 69 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

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Sri Lanka Ranked Second Best Internet Inclusive Country in South Asia

Sri Lanka has been ranked 56th out of surveyed. The first country ranked in this 88.5pc in rich countries. The report found
100 countries on the inclusive internet year’s index is Sweden, followed by New that mobile data had been a game-changer
index 2020 released by the Economist Zealand and the United States. Australia for lower income groups, but access was
Intelligence Unit (EIU). It is the second and Denmark both ranked fourth, followed still too expensive. On average across the
highest ranking country in South Asian by South Korea, Canada, the United indexed countries, the cost of a fixed-line
region after India, which is on the 46th spot. Kingdom, France and Spain. Among the broadband connection amounts to 18.6pc
Looking at South Asia, Pakistan ranked the global worst are Burandi at 100th, Liberia, of monthly gross national income per-
lowest, Bangladesh at 70th place. The EIU Madagascar, Malawi and Burkina Faso. capita — a far cry from the 2pc target for
report says: Sri Lanka earns high marks This year’s index is accompanied by the entry-level broadband services set by the
for the availability of local Internet content ‘2020 Value of the Internet Survey’, to United Nations Broadband Commission
and e-government services, resulting in understand how the internet is used and for Sustainable Development. It also
a ranking of =25th globally (and 6th in perceived. The poll gathered views from noted that 4G coverage had grown in 54
Asia) in Relevance. Its performance is 4,953 respondents in 99 countries across countries and now covered 31.2pc of
less impressive elsewhere, with glaring Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the low-income and 64.7pc of lower-middle
weakness in, among other areas, policy Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan income countries. Facebook said while
development and trust and safety. The Africa. According to Facebook, more than progress had been made, women still
‘Inclusive Internet Index’ benchmarks half of the world’s population — 4.1 billion had less access to the internet than men.
countries on the internet’s availability, is connected to the internet. On the other Across indexed countries, men were 13pc
affordability, relevance and the readiness hand, more than 3.5bn people are still more likely than women to have access
of people to use it. The annual report is deprived of the ‘opportunities’ brought by to the internet (down 3pc from last year),
commissioned by Facebook. In its fourth the internet. The social media giant noted and the gender gap was a remarkable
year, the index covered 100 countries, that the rate of growth of internet access 34.5pc in low-income countries. While the
representing 91pc of the world’s population in low-income countries had slowed technology industry played a significant
and 96pc of global GDP. On a scale of one significantly. On average, only 9.9pc of role in closing the digital divide, innovation
(best) to 100 (worst), Pakistan stood at households in low-income countries had in government policy could have an equally
the 56th place out of the total countries access to the internet, compared with significant impact, Facebook noted.

60 Holding Companies to Undergo Digital Transformation in Egypt

Sixty major holding companies will the transformation process. The digital adding that it will cover the management
undergo digital transformation at a cost transformation process will take 18 of companies' resources, development of
of 50 million dollars to improve business months to be executed, the minister said, infrastructure and honing skills of cadres.
atmosphere and raise the efficiency of
companies in markets. Public Business
Minister Hisham Tawfik attended the
signing of 21 contracts in this regard. IT
companies; SAB Egypt, Microsoft, Viber
Egypt, Nile Valley and Atos, will take
part for the first time in carrying out this
huge digital transformation project. The
companies were picked in an international
tender held for this purpose in August of
2019. Holding companies operating in the
insurance, maritime and land transport,
metal and chemical industries, cotton,
spinning and weaving, tourism and
pharmaceuticals domains will undergo

69 MARCH 2020