UK's ICT use lags behind in World Economic Forum report

The UK is continuing to fall behind other nations in its use of ICT, according to the Global Information Technology Report 2010-2011 (PDF) released by the World Economic Forum.

The UK has fallen to 15th place from 13th last year. The last time the UK made the top 10 was in the 2006-2007 report (PDF).

Sweden and Singapore topped the rankings this year, and Finland displaced Denmark in third place. Switzerland and the US are in fourth and fifth place respectively.

The report makes use of the Networked Readiness Index, which measures how well countries exploit the opportunities offered by ICT.

The index takes into account the environment for ICT offered by the country and the readiness of the country's individuals, businesses and government to use ICT.

The report covers 138 economies worldwide, and remains one of the most comprehensive international assessments of how nations use ICT to develop and compete.

The World Economic Forum said that this year's findings confirm the leadership of the Nordic countries and the Asian Tiger economies in implementing ICT advances for growth and development.

Now in its 10th year, the 2011 report focuses particularly on how ICT is likely to affect individuals, businesses and governments over the next decade through modernisation and innovation.

V3.co.uk contacted Ofcom to find out why the UK continues to fall behind its rivals on the world stage, but the regulator has yet to reply.

The report will be bad news for prime minister David Cameron, who is hoping to turn a part of east London into the Silicon Valley of the UK.

The coalition government also unveiled a StartUp Britain initiative designed to encourage technology firms and entrepreneurs to foster growth in the economy.