WTO Information Technology Symposium

Information society indicators in

practicePresentation on

Estonian achievements

Linnar Viik

Where is

Estonia

at this moment?

IT penetration in

public sector is

80% of IT needs,

private sector

has made it’s choice several years ago,

home penetration has

doubled in two years up to 15%

Internet penetration ranks Estonia with it

250.000 Internet users150.000 active Internet usersInternet host per 54 persons

on the non-geographical map of Global Village

right behind

USA and

Northern Europe

Estonia is

covered

with more

than 60

Internet

Public Access Points

50% of

Public Sector PCs have Internet connection

88% of Public Institutions are presented via WWW

TCP/IP is de facto data communication protocol

of the Public Sector

There are over

300.000 mobile

telephony subscribers,

three operators

There are over

20 ISPs,

5 major ones

Internet dial-up prices have

halved in two years

0.- price Internet dial-up in September 99

Where was Estonia in 1992?

No telecommunication infrastructure,

no services

End users had no experience

on filtering the incominginformation, no previous experience

in total interactionNo financing nor management

structures

Why Estonia caught up so well?

•No old technology•Efficient know-how transfer•Good academic background and

overall level of technical education•Use of de facto standards•Embraced openness•Underregulation•Liberal economic environment•Direct foreign investments•Foreign technical assistance•Public investments