Ireland ranked 18th globally for intelligent connectivity

Ireland ranks 18th globally for intelligent connectivity, according to Huawei’s Global Connectivity Index 2019 Report, Ireland is amongst the ‘front runners’ globally for intelligent connectivity and is ranked 18th out of 79 countries researched, according to a new Huawei index. Huawei released its sixth annual Global Connectivity Index (GCI) and Ireland is one of the countries recognised as a leading nation when it comes to ICT investment, ICT maturity, and digital economic performance.

Ireland ranks ahead of countries such as Spain (22nd), China (26th) and Italy (27th). With an overall score of 67, most of Ireland’s scores are above the global average, particularly those relating to demand. This relates to the level of app downloads, smart phone penetration, ecommerce transactions, fixed broadband subscriptions, mobile broadband subscriptions and AI-robotics.

It also relates to services experienced by the end user such as broadband download speed, eGovernment services, internet participation, IoT analytics and data creation. The future also looks rosy for the future development of the digital economy like R&D expenditure, ICT patents, cloud potential, AI potential and ICT influencing new business models. GCI 2019 highlights AI’s role as one of four key enablers that drive “Intelligent Connectivity”, alongside broadband, cloud, and the internet of things (IoT). All four have the potential to be significant catalysts for economic growth.

As AI-infused intelligent connectivity begins to have a meaningful impact on the digital economy, a key finding of Huawei’s GCI 2019 is that countries with GCI scores over 65 which have made continuous investment intelligent connectivity can expect it to boost GDP by more than 1 per cent.

GDP booster

At the same time, success in the era of intelligence depends on the ability to collaborate on a global scale. It is not just developed economies that can benefit from intelligent connectivity. GCI 2019 finds that nations at every level of digital development can access the upside potential of AI as a GDP booster when it is deployed by industries and organisations.

“We’re now seeing that the fusion of 5G, AI, and cloud has redefined connectivity,” says Kevin Zhang, chief marketing officer of Huawei ICT Infrastructure. “We’ve realised that intelligent connectivity may be the answer to many of the societies’ most complicated and deeply-rooted challenges, including climate change and the wealth gap between rich and poor. Huawei is committed to increasing efforts to make technology, applications and skills accessible to everyone, and bringing intelligent connectivity’s benefits to every person, home and organisation.”

The GCI is designed to provide actionable insights for how policy makers and economic stakeholders can foster greater success in the digital economy. The 79 countries assessed by GCI 2019 account for 95 per cent of global GDP and 84 per cent of the world’s population.