Methodology of Digital Economy Research Indices

a) WEF’s Network Readiness Index 2019

• Some relevant indexes used in the design process of the renewed NRI were the
previous version of the NRI, including:
• ITU’s ICT Development Index (IDI)
• Digital Knowledge Economy Index (DKEI)
• Internet Inclusiveness Index
• Information Economy Report (IER),
• the extinct Web Index,
• the Internet Affordability Report.

b) United Nations E-Government Survey 2018

• Methodology:
• The Survey is composed of an analytical part and of data on e-government
development contained in the annexes of the publication, providing a
snapshot of relative rankings of e-government development of all Member
States
• For the Online Service Index (OSI) values for 2018, a total of 206 online
United Nations Volunteer (UNV) researchers from 89 countries with coverage
of 66 languages assessed each country’s national website in the native
language using the Survey’s Online Service Questionnaire

c) WEF’s Global Competitiveness Index 2019

• Methodology of Integrating the latest statistics from international organizations and

a survey of executives, for instance; ICT Adoption:
i) Mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions
- Number of mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions per 100
population | 2018 or most recent period available
- This indicator includes post-paid subscriptions, active prepaid
accounts (i.e. that have been active during the past three months) and
all mobile-cellular subscriptions that offer voice communications.
ii) Mobile-broadband subscriptions
- Number of active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 population
| 2018 or most recent period available
- This indicator includes standard mobile-broadband subscriptions and
dedicated mobile-broadband data subscriptions to the public internet.
iii) Fixed-broadband internet subscriptions
- Number of fixed-broadband internet subscriptions per 100 population
| 2018 or most recent period available
- This indicator refers to the number of subscriptions for high-speed
access to the public internet (a TCP/IP connection), including cable
modem, DSL, fibre, and other fixed (wired)-broadband technologies—
 such as Ethernet, LAN and broadband over powerline
communications.
iv) Fibre internet subscriptions
- Fibre-to-the-home/building internet subscriptions per 100 population
| 2017 or most recent period available
- This indicator refers to the number of internet subscriptions using
fibre-to-the-home or fibre-to-the-building at downstream speeds
equal to or greater than 256 kb/s.
- This should include subscriptions where fibre goes directly to the
subscriber’s premises or fibre-to-the-building subscriptions that
terminate no more than two metres from an external wall of the
building.
- Fibreto-the-cabinet and fibre-to-the-node are excluded.
v) Internet users
- Percentage of individuals who used the internet from any location
and for any purpose, irrespective of the device and network used, in
the last three months | 2018 or most recent period available

d) Huawei’s Global Connectivity Index 2019

Measurement and Normalization:

• Variables are measured against factors such as GDP PPP, number of households, and
total population. These factors assess the full picture of connectivity for each
country, including measurements like app downloads per person or fiber optic
penetration against total households.
• The index benchmarks nations according to their overall rate of ICT adaptation
across the economy and entire population.
• In all cases, the data inputs are first measured against a normalizing variable like
population size, so the index can benchmark countries according to relative levels of
connectivity rather than absolute market sizes, which would be more reflective of
economy size.