Which Countries Are Winning the Digital Infrastructure Race?

The invisible digital infrastructure is all around us. It powers every bank login, online order, every text sent, and every social media update posted. Vast networks that many of us rarely think about make these actions possible. Access to the digital infrastructure shapes a population’s economic standing and it even keeps entire governments running smoothly. Therefore, it’s no surprise that some countries spend huge sums to stay competitive in the digital infrastructure sector and there are clear winners as we can see in Ooma’s new study.

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Think of this way: rather than roads and bridges, broadband networks, data centers, and cloud systems, the key to mobile connectivity is a country’s most valuable asset, which powers AI servers and social media. Advanced digital infrastructure correlates with higher GDP growth, higher productivity, a viable remote workforce, and a more digitally skilled workforce. These systems also allow faster access to government services, which can even be lifesaving since they offer quicker communication during emergencies like natural disasters.

The team’s study found 5 countries leading this digital infrastructure race. Sweden is in first place now with strong assets across the board, led by broadband subscriptions and business R&D spending. Israel is in second place with outsized venture capital relative to their GDP and heavy research funding into digital infrastructure. South Korea is in third, powered by ICT patents and top-tier broadband reach. Believe it or not, Estonia edges out the U.S. in fourth place. They’re a global digital pioneer with the most ICT investment as a share of GDP. The U.S. ranks #5, driven by digitally deliverable services and venture capital. The team used a points-based score across seven OECD measures, which include ICT investment, broadband, venture capital investment, M2M SIM cards, ICT patents, digital services trade, and business R&D.

These investments have a number of real-world impacts. In Estonia, they have nearly all their government services available online and a digital ID that can be used for everything from remote voting to public transport. Sweden has a highly developed e-commerce sector, universal household Internet connectivity, and, as a result, Stockholm is Europe’s financial hub. In Israel, the National Digital Agency and the Digital Israel initiative weave tech across education, government, and healthcare, transforming the country into a startup magnet. South Korea has one of the fastest Internet speeds globally and they dominate consumer electronics, competitive gaming, and semiconductors.

Countries investing in digital infrastructure are positioned to be world superpowers. Businesses in these countries benefit from fast communication and a digitally literate workforce. But seamless connectivity shouldn’t depend on geography. Every country and all people can benefit from a more digitally connected world, so the more countries that improve their digital infrastructure, the better. The leading countries on this chart can serve as role models while countries further down the list highlight areas for improvement and potential investment.