What says the Last OECD Report?
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), says that Improved internet connectivity and digital tools have helped many countries cope with the covid-19 health crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has made the need to close digital gaps that threaten to leave some people and companies worse off in a post-covid world more visible than ever, OECD explains the situation.
OECD: The pandemic highlights the need to close digital gaps
The latest outlook on the OECD’s digital economy indicates large gaps between countries and, within them, in access to a fast and reliable Internet.
OECD countries account for roughly twice the level of high-speed mobile internet subscriptions per capital and three times the level of fixed broadband subscriptions of non-OECD countries, according to the report.
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OECD Deputy Secretary General Ulrik Vestergaard Knudsen think that the digital technologies have helped our economies and societies avoid total stagnation during the crisis.
However, he added, the crisis has also accentuated people’s dependence on digital technologies and has exposed the reality of digital divides between and within countries.
The world is at a tipping point in digital transformation and the shape of our post -covid-19 economies and societies will depend on how well we can progress and narrow these gaps. The digital transformation accelerated before the pandemic as an increasing number of governments put digital strategies at the center of their political agendas.
The report shows that average mobile data usage by subscription in OECD countries quadrupled in the four years to June 2019, and prices for high-usage mobile broadband fell 59% from 2013 to 2019.
In June 2020, commercial 5G services were only available in 22 OECD countries.
The good news is that digital transformation can help economies to emerge from the crisis, stimulating business innovation and new consumption models, transforming production systems and value chains, reorganizing economic sectors and introducing new conditions of competitiveness. Digital tools can also contribute to better access to public services, including health and education. Finally, they can help improve governance by placing citizens at the center of public policy.