Qatar was ranked first worldwide on the indicator measuring the percentage of individuals using Internet in the developing countries in 2014 (91.5%) and first among Arab countries and second globally on the indicator measuring the percentage of households with Internet (98%), according to the 2015 edition of the State of Broadband report.
Qatar also came first among all Arab countries and 12th worldwide on the indicator that measures the percentage of individuals using Internet in 2014 (91.5%) followed by Bahrain (91%) and UAE (90.4%), said the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ictQATAR) in a press release issued yesterday.
In the same report, released yesterday in New York by the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development, Qatar ranked 15th at the world level on the indicator that measures the active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
These figures show the amount of efforts exerted by ictQATAR to build on the progress achieved and continue promoting broadband penetration among all sectors and social segments, as well as building advanced world-class infrastructures with high speeds and reasonable rates. This pushes towards achieving sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels and enforcing Qatar’s National Broadband Plan that ictQATAR launched in the late 2013.
The report said broadband Internet is failing to reach those who could benefit most, with Internet access reaching near-saturation in the world’s rich nations but not advancing fast enough to benefit the billions of people living in the developing world. It added that 57% of the world’s people remain offline and unable to take advantage of the enormous economic and social benefits the Internet can offer.
© The Peninsula 2015
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