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South Koreans surf the Internet
© AFP/File Kim Jae-Hwan

The two Asian countries came top of the league table of "digital opportunity" based on eleven technical, economic and social criteria measuring access to computers, the Internet and telephone services according to the ITU's "World Information Society report 2006".

They were followed by Denmark, Iceland, Hong Kong, Sweden, Britain, Norway, the Netherlands and Taiwan respectively in the table of 180 countries.

South Korea and Japan were reaping the benefit of their "pioneering take-up" of high-speed broadband and 3G (third-generation) mobile telephone services, the report said.

"Nearly all Internet subscribers in South Korea are broadband subscribers, whilst Japan is the only market in the world where subscribers are more likely to access the Internet through mobile connections, the ITU added.

Tiny Estonia in 20th place in the table was just ahead of the world's most powerful economy, United States.

Developing nations were making significant progess, helped on by major emerging economies in Asia and Latin America, the report said.

China (74th), India (75th), Brazil (71st) and Russia (60th) have recorded the fastest growth in digital opportunity, although there were major differences in the way they had developed their telecommunications.

China and Russia have concentrated on expanding their infrastructure, while India has made a major effort with the affordability of services.

Brazil had succeeded in strengthening all three key pillars for digital growth -- opportunity, infrastructure and use -- "implying rounded and balanced development of the information society", the ITU said.

Despite progress in poorer nations, especially with cellphone or mobile connections, the digital divide is highlighted by the difference in Internet use.

In Europe and North America, about 31 percent of inhabitants use the Internet compared to just 2.6 percent in Africa, and a world average of 13.7 percent, the report said.

However, the ITU found that broadband services are now commercially available in 166 countries, and their price has fallen by up to 20 percent a year over the past two years.

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