Information Society Index, 2007: Measuring the Digital Divide

This IDC study presents data and analysis from the Information Society Index (ISI), which combines 15 variables arranged in four infrastructures to calculate and rank nations in one overall index and four subindexes (IT, telecom, Internet, and social measurements). The index and subindexes establish a standard by which all nations are measured according to their ability to access and absorb information and information technology. Data includes penetration rates for IT spending, PC households, Internet access, broadband connectivity, mobile phones, online households, mobile Internet access, and telecom spending, alongside education enrollment and ranked scores for civil liberties and corruption, creating a map for understanding the overall fabric of a country's information society landscape.

"It is important to recognize that much of the current digital divide between mature, flourishing regions and those sections of society that remain largely disconnected from the evolution of the information society is entrenched in social and economic conditions that will not be radically transformed in the near term. This is partly a fact of economic and geographical reality, and partly a reflection of the relative inability of governments in the modern economic system to redistribute wealth in a way that might be targeted at bridging these divisions more rapidly." ? Stephen Minton, VP, Worldwide IT Markets