Vietnam Takes Lead in ICT Application: WB Report
Vietnam is among developing countries that stand out for better information and communication technology (ICT) performance compared with other countries in its income level, the World Bank said in its latest report “Information and Communications for Development 2009”.
The report, which uses data from 2000-07 and studies the impacts of broadband and mobile phone applications on the economic growth of developing countries, assesses 150 world economies.
Vietnam, which falls in the bracket of low per-capita income at US$935 or less, ranks the highest in performance among 35 other developing nations in the same bracket.
The Southeast Asian country earned six points for ICT services access, four points for ICT services affordability, and five points for ICT applications in government and business, the WB said in its report.
The report showed that the ICT industry substantially contributed 4.7 per cent to Vietnam’s GDP in 2007, compared with 3.5 per cent in 2000.
ICT expenditures, meanwhile, accounted for 6.1 per cent of the country’s GDP in 2007, lower than the rate of 7.3 per cent the in the Asia-Pacific region.
The report concluded that high-speed internet access and low-cost mobile phone services are keys to economic growth in developing countries. (
www.ictnews.vn, Vietnamnet), Vietnamnet)
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