Digital Access Index

The DAI was created in 2003 and measures the overall ability of individuals in a country to access and use new ICTs. The DAI is built around 4 fundamental aspects of a country's ability to access ICT; infrastructure, affordability, knowledge and quality and actual usage of ICT. The DAI allows countries to see how they compare to peers and their relative strengths and weaknesses. It provides a transparent and globally measurable way of tracking progress towards improving access to ICTs. High Access Countries: Sweden - 0.85 Denmark - 0.83 Iceland - 0.82 Low Access Countries: Bhutan - 0.13 Sudan - 0.13 Comoros - 0.11

Conclusions of ICT access: Closely connected to wealth of a nation but not solely Apart from Canada ranked 9th the top 10 countries are Asian and European First 4 Asian Tigers have made the greatest progress in ICT over time English is no longer a decisive factor in rapid technological adoption as more content is made available in other languages Fast broadband is demanded for competitive businesses Access is unequal, recession may increase inequality

United Arab Emirates:Burj Tower Dubai; Dubai Internet city - important information technology park Created by government as free economic zone Factors Affecting Access: Isolation [physical] Land formation [physical] Being illiterate [physical] Climate [physical] Geology [physical] Location - some tech only works in certain places [physical][environmental] Government [political] Censors [political] Natural hazards [environmental] Weather [environmental] Catholic - contraception [religion] Amish [religion] Ethics - GM crops [religion] War [military]