Orbicom, the International Network of UNESCO Chairs in Communications that was jointly created with the Université du Québec à Montréal, has contributed a report to WSIS: Bridging the digital divide… and beyond:

It sets high standards in international benchmarking and places particular emphasis on developing countries. Its unique features are:

• a cohesive conceptual Framework, which goes beyond connectivity measures and logically incorporates skills, as well as offers rich analytical linkages
• explicit measurements both across countries at a given point in time and within countries over-time in such a way that comparisons are not reduced to changing rankings from year to year
• policy relevant results on a component-by-component basis
• immediate benchmarking against the average of all countries (Hypothetica) and the planet as a whole (Planetia)
• use of existing and reliable data sets with a sound and transparent statistical methodology

The empirical application of the model covers a great number of countries. Measurements of networks are offered for 192 countries, covering 99% of the population of the planet; of skills and overall Infodensity for 153 countries representing 98% of the population; of Info-use 143 countries and overall Infostate 139 countries, both accounting for 95% of the global population. The results are based on 21 variables, reliable, tested and available to all and extends over the 1996-2001 period.

Thanks Cla!