Digital govt, connectivity, skills top priority for nations: OECD

Digital government, connectivity and skills were the top three digital policy priorities in 2023 for 38 OECD countries and partner economies, it notes.

National digital strategies, increasingly developed at a high level of government, are the primary approach to coordinating digital policies.

A dedicated digital ministry designed almost half of the national digital strategies of the 38 countries surveyed in 2023, up from just under a quarter in 2016.

Among the almost 1,200 policy initiatives collected across OECD countries and partner economies in 2023, about a third aim at raising effective use of digital technologies, promote social prosperity and boost innovation. Artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G are the most often-cited technologies.

The demand for high-quality and affordable broadband services continues to increase. Over the last decade, fibre was the fastest growing fixed broadband access technology in OECD countries and it is now dominant.

Deployment of 5G continues, while mobile data usage per subscription in OECD countries almost tripled from 2018 to 2023. Affordability, availability and quality are key aspects of bridging connectivity divides.

People living in cities (metropolitan areas) in OECD countries faced median fixed broadband download speeds 50 per cent higher than people living in regions far from metropolitan areas in Q4 2023.

Alongside promoting the transition to more future-proof networks and addressing divides, policy priorities include addressing changes to market structures and ensuring secure, resilient and environmentally sustainable communication networks.

The digital and green ‘twin transitions’ should be harnessed to protect the planet, the report recommends. Digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital twins enabled by AI can improve energy efficiency, reduce costs and accelerate innovation across energy grids and supply chains.

Communication infrastructures and services are needed to deploy technologies like smart electrical grids and IoT-based precision agriculture, which support decarbonisation. Such infrastructures and services also have an environmental footprint that needs to be minimised.

Sectors such as global transportation systems stand to benefit from digital technologies that help reduce environmental impacts through fuel efficiency gains, predictive maintenance and shared mobility, as well as by low-carbon transport systems and multimodal mobility services, the report adds.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)