Welcome to Huawei GCI 2019
Powering Intelligent Connectivity with Global Collaboration


Mapping your transformation into a digital economy with GCI 2019
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Latest Related Publication
Digital Spillover

Measuring the true impact of the digital economy
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Sustainability Report 2019

Accelerating Sustainable Development Goals through ICT
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Country Rankings

The GCI annually ranks 79 nations along an S-curve graph based on their latest GCI scores. According to ICT investment, ICT maturity, and digital economic performance, the S-curve groups nations into three clusters: Starters, Adopters, and Frontrunners. In 2019, we have expanded the GCI’s research methodology to help policymakers understand AI’s growing influence on the global economy.

FRONTRUNNERS

RANK
COUNTRIES
SCORE
1
United States United States
85
2
Switzerland Switzerland
83
3
Sweden Sweden
81
4
Singapore Singapore
81
5
Denmark Denmark
78
6
Japan Japan
75
7
Finland Finland
75
8
Norway Norway
75
9
United Kingdom United Kingdom
74
10
Netherlands Netherlands
74
11
Australia Australia
74
12
New Zealand New Zealand
72
13
South Korea South Korea
70
14
Canada Canada
70
15
Germany Germany
69
16
Luxembourg Luxembourg
69
17
France France
68
18
Ireland Ireland
67
19
Austria Austria
65
20
Belgium Belgium
65

ADOPTERS

RANK
COUNTRIES
SCORE
21
Estonia Estonia
62
22
Spain Spain
60
23
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
60
24
Portugal Portugal
60
25
Czech Republic Czech Republic
58
26
China China
57
27
Italy Italy
57
28
Lithuania Lithuania
56
29
Slovenia Slovenia
56
30
Malaysia Malaysia
54
31
Hungary Hungary
54
32
Slovakia Slovakia
53
33
Chile Chile
52
34
Bulgaria Bulgaria
51
35
Uruguay Uruguay
51
36
Poland Poland
51
37
Romania Romania
51
38
Greece Greece
50
39
Croatia Croatia
50
40
Bahrain Bahrain
49
41
Russia Russia
49
42
Oman Oman
48
43
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
48
44
Brazil Brazil
47
45
Turkey Turkey
46
46
Kuwait Kuwait
45
47
Belarus Belarus
45
48
Argentina Argentina
45
49
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan
44
50
Ukraine Ukraine
44
51
Mexico Mexico
43
52
South Africa South Africa
43
53
Serbia Serbia
43
54
Thailand Thailand
43
55
Colombia Colombia
41

STARTERS

RANK
COUNTRIES
SCORE
56
Peru Peru
38
57
Vietnam Vietnam
37
58
Egypt Egypt
37
59
Philippines Philippines
37
60
Ecuador Ecuador
37
61
Morocco Morocco
36
62
Indonesia Indonesia
36
63
Lebanon Lebanon
34
64
Jordan Jordan
34
65
India India
34
66
Venezuela Venezuela
33
67
Paraguay Paraguay
33
68
Algeria Algeria
31
69
Bolivia Bolivia
31
70
Botswana Botswana
30
71
Ghana Ghana
29
72
Kenya Kenya
29
73
Bangladesh Bangladesh
28
74
Namibia Namibia
28
75
Nigeria Nigeria
27
76
Pakistan Pakistan
27
77
Tanzania Tanzania
24
78
Uganda Uganda
24
79
Ethiopia Ethiopia
23
View Country Rankings From 2015-2019
Digital Economy Journey:
The GCI S-Curve
Placing GCI with GDP

The GCI S-curve shows the digital economy journey of nations through the relationship between GCI score and GDP. Big investors in ICT infrastructure at the top of the S-curve tend to show significantly stronger GDP per capita than those at the bottom of the S-curve.

Nations need to ensure adequate investment in and development of the four core technologies covered by GCI scoring – Broadband, Cloud, IoT and AI – and measured by 40 GCI indicators.

A New Tipping Point Triggers New Growth Potential
A key finding in GCI 2019 is that advanced economies reach a tipping point that triggers a new growth cycle. However, the experience of Frontrunners differs from that of Starters. Frontrunners’ mature digital economies have seen growth stagnate in recent years as they have already maxed out the value of their investment in ICT infrastructure.

When these advanced economies reach a GCI score of 65, they begin to effectively apply AI solutions. From this point on, we expect AI applications to add more than 1% to Frontrunners’ GDP growth in 2019.
Tapping the Full Potential of AI to Boost GDP Growth
Nations across the GCI spectrum are discovering an “AI's upside potential" in 2019. Simply stated, it means that tapping the full potential of AI could significantly increase GDP growth.

While much of the economic benefits of AI today goes to the GCI's most advanced economies, even Frontrunners are relegated to beginner status with AI technology while they learn how to develop, adopt, and train it to solve real-world challenges. But, with AI algorithms and services readily available on cloud platforms, Adopters and even Starters will inevitably learn from Frontrunners’ experience and find ways to adapt the technology to work in their own ICT environment. Developing economies accessing AI will play an important role in spreading the technology’s benefits across regions and industries.

For Frontrunners like the US and Japan that possess the most advanced ICT infrastructure, AI's upside potential today represents a huge gap in untapped growth. In the case of the US, AI’s current impact on the country’s GDP is estimated to be 300% to 400% lower than its potential value.
Ecosystem Stakeholders Drive Collaboration
Intelligent Connectivity functions and creates value through collaborative ecosystems. These ecosystems that employ AI, cloud services, and IoT can sustain and thrive on a continuous flow of data feedback like a virtuous cycle. The more data available, the more effective Intelligent Connectivity becomes at predicting users' needs so that personalized products and services can be provided to win customers and solve real-world problems.

GCI 2019 identifies five stakeholder roles that can collaborate across domains, break down organizational silos, and deliver faster results to customers: Decision Makers, Data Scientists, Data Collectors, ICT Companies, and End Users. Understanding how to participate and leverage the strengths of these collaborative stakeholders is crucial for policymakers and industry leaders to deliver sustainable growth for their country or organization, especially as the influence of Intelligent Connectivity expands.

This year we find that nations that closely work with other trading country partners have a higher chance to reap the greatest benefits of Intelligent Connectivity, as local, regional, and certainly global ecosystems are increasingly reliant on cross-industry and international collaboration to create value for all participants: nations, enterprises, and the public.
GCI 2019 Insights
Shorter rollout times of 5G will give it a head-start in fueling the next wave of economic growth
From 2G to 3G to 4G, each new generation of wireless networks has been a driver of economic growth, typically after reaching 10% global market penetration. It took seven years for 3G to get to this point and six years for 4G. We expect 5G will get there significantly faster at just four years.


Read the analysis
AI REQUIRES CLOUD AND IOT TO FLOURISH
AI readiness is activated by investments in cloud and IoT, two key technologies that underpin AI and boost a nation's GCI score


Read the analysis
TECHNOLOGY CONVERGENCE CREATES NEW OPPORTUNITIES
The accelerating convergence of broadband, cloud, IoT, AI, robotics, and other emerging technologies is creating new business opportunities and ways for global ecosystems to thrive.


Read the analysis
Technology Impact
Technology convergence will fuel the next wave of GDP growth

The future isn’t guaranteed and change is never easy. It will take investment, infrastructure, and data. It will take determination and forethought. And it will take an understanding of how to plan ICT strategies based on the convergence of emerging technologies.

5G
5G's rapid rollout will create new economic growth.
Cloud and IoT
The formula for success is simple: Governments should invest in Intelligent Connectivity’s enabling technologies with a particular focus on two prerequisites that AI needs to be effective – Cloud and IoT.
Technology Convergence
As the technologies that underpin Intelligent Connectivity converge, they will spur a wave of innovation that will profoundly change business and everyday life.
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GCI in the news:
News Centre
Latest news

COMESA, EAC And ECOWAS Launch Platform For Women In Business

Busiweek November 25, 2019

India Ranked 65 In Huawei Global Connectivity Index

BW Businessworld November 21, 2019

Bangladesh among top 4 countries in digital economy growth

New Age November 21, 2019

Bangladesh climbs three spots on Huawei's Global Connectivity Index

bdnews24.com November 21, 2019

Pakistan’s rank drops from 75 to 76 in latest Huawei Global Connectivity Index

Business Recorder November 21, 2019

BD in top four countries

Daily Industry November 21, 2019

US, Switzerland top Huawei global connectivity index

Telecompaper November 20, 2019

Huawei Publishes Global Connectivity Index 2018

PhoneWorld Magazine May 31, 2018

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Plains Ledger Sep 6, 2018

UAE First in the Global Connectivity Index in the MENA Region

Al-Bawaba May 7, 2018

South Africa Ranks 46th in Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2018

Techfinancials.co.za May 29, 2018

AI could double value of digital economy by 2025: Huawei

Economic Times May 29, 2018

Global Optical Network Equipment Market to exceed USD 28882.24 Million by 2024

Florida Daily Chronicle Sep 7, 2018

Huawei: AI Could Double Value of Global Digital Economy by 2025

RTInsights Jun 11, 2018

South Africa ranks 46th in global ICT index

ITWeb Jun 1, 2018

Huawei releases IoT, AI, and cloud computing products at CEBIT 2018

Networks Asia Jun 19, 2018

AI will double size of digital economy to $23 trillion – Huawei

Telecoms.com May 30, 2018

AI to contribute significantly to global economic growth

ITWeb Jun 4, 2018

AI redefining connectivity and new cycle of economic growth

Saudi Gazette Jul 9, 2018

India takes the 43rd position in Huawei Global Connectivity Index for 50 countries

Tech2 Apr 20, 2018

CEBIT 2018: Huawei debuts its latest IoT and AI products

IoT Tech News Jun 12, 2018

SAMENA Telecom Leaders' Summit 2018 to be held in Dubai in Dubai in partnership with Huawei for the 5th consecutive year

Muscat Daily Apr 23, 2018

Artificial Intelligence to double digital economy to $23 trillion by 2025.

Muscat Daily Apr 23, 2018

Malaysia jumps up to 24th on Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2017

East African Business Week April 23, 2017

Malaysia No. 24 in global connectivity index

The Malaysian Insight April 26, 2017

Malaysia ranks 24th in Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2017

The Sun Daily April 26, 2017

Malaysia Ranks 24th In Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2017

The WorldNews (WN) Network April 26, 2017

Malaysia jumps up to 24th on Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2017

CycloSec April 25, 2017

Huawei Analyst Summit 2017: Expanded Video Focus, and Velocity

Network Matter April 25, 2017

South Africa to spend billions in ICT sector

Balancing Act April 21, 2017

India takes the 43rd position in Huawei Global Connectivity Index for 50 countries

Firstpost April 20, 2017

South Africa to Spend Billions in ICT Sector

allAfrica April 19, 2017

Inequality widens in technology, reports Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2017

enterpriseinnovation April 19, 2017

Digital divide between countries is now a “digital chasm”

GCIPO April 19, 2017

Digital divide is now a digital chasm: inequality widens in technology, reports Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2017

TelecomTiger April 19, 2017

Everyone’s going digital but digital divide is still widening: Huawei study

Disruptive.Asia April 18, 2017

India Ranks 43rd in Global Connectivity Index Study

Gadgets Now April 18, 2017

Huawei Global Connectivity Index (GCI) 2017 released

Telecom Lead April 18, 2017

India ranks 43rd in Global Connectivity Index study

Times of India April 18, 2017

Huawei to explore new opportunities for telcos at SAMENA telecom leaders' summit

CommsMEA April 16, 2017

Huawei to align visions to meet the digital world demands at SAMENA Telecom Leaders’ Summit 2017

Teletimes International April 14, 2017

Video will become ‘cash cow’ for telecoms providers, says Huawei

ComputerWeekly April 11, 2017
Featured articles

Vietnam edges up in Huawei's global connectivity rankings

VnExpress.net November 26, 2019

Intelligent Connectivity Is the Catalyst for Fresh GDP Growth, According to Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2019 Report

CXOtoday November 20, 2019

IRELAND RANKED 18TH GLOBALLY FOR INTELLIGENT CONNECTIVITY, ACCORDING TO HUAWEI GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY INDEX 2019 REPORT

Irish Tech News November 20, 2019

Malaysia jumps up to 24th on Huawei Global Connectivity Index 2017

The Edge Markets April 26, 2017

Digital China 2020: An action plan for Chinese enterprises

Accenture August 10, 2018

Trans-Pacific Partnership Rules For Digital Trade In Asia

Asia Development Bank Institute August 10, 2018

Driving Economic Growth Through Cross-Border E-Commerce in APEC: Empowering MSMEs and Eliminating Barriers

APEC Business Advisory Council August 10, 2018

Mobile Connectivity Index: Methodology

GSMA August 10, 2018

G20 Digital Infrastructure: Overcoming the Digital Divide in Emerging Economies

G20 Insights August 10, 2018
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