Information Economy Report 2011

World average download speed 6.4 Mbps, Lebanon’s speed below 1 Mbps

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the Information Economy Report 2011 titled ‘ICTs as an Enabler for Private Sector Development’. The report highlights the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in enabling private-sector development.

According to the report, the world average download speed in 2010 was about 6.4 Mbps. The highest average download speed was noted for the Republic of Korea at 37.6 Mbps. The average download speed in Lebanon was below 1 Mbps.

Lebanon was among 50 economies in which no mobile broadband services had been launched by December 2010.

According to the report, by the end of 2010, of each 100 Lebanese, 68 had mobile cellular subscriptions. Internet users in the country were 31 for each 100 residents, more than doubling compared to 2005 figures. Fixed broadband internet subscriptions were still less than five per each 100 citizens.

The report recommended that governments work to promote affordable access to ICTs, taking into consideration what improvements in the ICT infrastructure are required to support private sector activities. It also recommended that governments enhance investment in ICTs by private firms, and adopt regulatory frameworks that help to enhance confidence in the use of new technology.