Estonia: Learning from eLeadership
FROM THE GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY FORUM
The most advanced of all new member states, despite some weak indicators, Estonia has made the creation of a knowledge society a national strategic goal.
Given the demands of such an immediate transition - leaping into mobile payments, eID, and mobile telephony – Estonia may struggle with infrastructure gaps and insufficient investment in R&D. Ensuring sustainability is the greatest challenge for Estonia’s digital society.
While great attention has been given to the quick development of eGovernance, adoption of basic online public services is slower than other countries. Utilization of advanced public services by enterprises is reported by the EU i2010 report* to be among Europe’s best. The EIU eReadiness Ranking 2007 links eBusiness stimulation to these eGovernance policies and the subsequent technological adoption, infrastructure development, and legitimizing framework for digital transactions. In early 2007, Estonia became the first nation to legalize the casting of online ballots in a national parliamentary election.
Estonian schools take top place in Europe for broadband connectivity, but the indicator is misleading as teacher use of the internet and student access to computers is far below the EU average. One lagging initiative from 2000 had hoped to adopt internet access as if it a constitutional right, providing free Internet across the country at hundreds of Public Internet Access Points.
Skill levels in the private sector have dropped just below the EU average in 2006, but citizen take up of internet services is steadily increasing. Internet telephony, videoconferencing, and online news source usage ranks 3rd in Europe, with online entertainment also far above the EU average. The compound effect of promoting cross usage and use of additional online services could prove to be a viable commercial stimulant. - Kenzie Burchell
i2010 Annual Report: Estonia
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Broadband
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2004
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2005
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2006
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Rank
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Total DSL coverage (as % of total population)
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|
90.0
|
|
13
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DSL coverage in rural areas (as % of total population)
|
|
|
|
|
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Broadband penetration (as % of population)
|
8.6
|
12.1
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17.2
|
9
|
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DSL penetration (as % of population)
|
4.2
|
5.8
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8.4
|
15
|
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Predominant download speed
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|
|
|
|
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Households having broadband (as % of those having access to the internet at home)
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66.0
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76.8
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80.3
|
7
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% of enterprises with broadband access
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67.7
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66.6
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75.7
|
12
|
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Number of 3G subscribers per 100 inhabitants
|
|
0.1
|
|
18
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|
Digital Television in households
|
|
8.5
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|
16
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Music: number of single downloads per 100 inhabitants
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|
0.0
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|
15
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Internet Usage
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|
|
|
|
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% population who are regular internet users
|
44.7
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53.6
|
56.3
|
11
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Take up of internet services (as % of population)
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|
|
|
|
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Sending emails
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38.8
|
48.8
|
49.4
|
12
|
|
Looking for information about goods and services
|
32.3
|
41.1
|
44.3
|
12
|
|
Internet telephoning or videoconferencing
|
|
10.2
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14.3
|
3
|
|
Playing/downloading games and music
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19.6
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24.5
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27.9
|
6
|
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Listening to the web radio/watching web tv
|
13.3
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15.0
|
16.5
|
10
|
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Reading online newspapers/magazines
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37.9
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45.6
|
50.3
|
3
|
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Internet banking
|
35.0
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44.6
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48.2
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7
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Places of access
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|
|
|
|
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% at home
|
32.2
|
40.3
|
46.0
|
12
|
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% at work
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20.5
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19.7
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27.6
|
11
|
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% at educational place
|
12.4
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7.5
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11.3
|
9
|
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% at PIAP
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14.5
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3.2
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3.7
|
20
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eGovernment Indicators
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|
|
|
|
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% basic public services for citizens fully available online
|
36.4
|
|
63.6
|
4
|
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% basic public services for enterprises fully available online
|
100.0
|
|
100.0
|
1
|
|
% of population using e-Government services
of which for returning filled in forms
|
20
13
|
31
17
|
29
17
|
12
5
|
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% of enterprises using e-Government services
of which for returning filled in forms
|
84
54
|
70
50
|
69
54
|
16
10
|
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ICT in schools
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|
|
|
|
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Number of computers connected per 100 pupils
|
|
|
7.2
|
20
|
|
% of schools with broadband access
|
|
|
95.0
|
1
|
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% of teachers having used the computer in class during the last 12 months
|
|
|
59.7
|
23
|
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e-Commerce
|
|
|
|
|
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E-commerce as % of total turnover of enterprises
|
2.8
|
2.0
|
|
|
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% enterprises receiving internet orders
|
8.7
|
7.2
|
14.4
|
13
|
|
% enterprises purchasing on the internet
|
31.0
|
23.3
|
25.0
|
15
|
|
e-business. % enterprises:
|
|
|
|
|
|
with integrated internal business processes
|
27.7
|
24.6
|
23.8
|
19
|
|
with integrated external business processes
|
4.9
|
4.5
|
8.9
|
19
|
|
Security: % enterprises using Secure servers
|
14.5
|
20.5
|
22.7
|
18
|
|
0% using digital signatures for authentication
|
5.3
|
9.0
|
10.9
|
13
|
|
Employment and Skills
|
|
|
|
|
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% employees using computers connected to the Internet
|
26.9
|
38.4
|
33.3
|
15
|
|
% of persons employed with ICT user skills.
|
17.2
|
19.4
|
17.1
|
19
|
|
% of persons employed with ICT specialist skills
|
2.4
|
2.6
|
2.6
|
20
|
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Indicators on growth of ICT sector and R&D
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|
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ICT sector share of total GDP
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|
|
|
|
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ICT sector share of total employment
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|
|
|
|
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ICT sector growth (constant prices).
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|
|
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R&D expenditure in ICT by the business sector, as % of GDP
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|
|
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=== as % of total R&D expenditure
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|
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SOURCE: The Economist Intelligence Unit
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