Information Technology in
CHILE

Size of Domestic IT Market

 

Chile has one of the largest and most well developed IT markets of its region and assumes the leadership position in many areas such as network readiness. This metric measures the degree to which a country's infrastructure is set up to take advantage of the developments in ICT to reap both economic and social benefits.

 

For many years the country has recognized the important role that ICT plays in economic and social dimensions and has made it a focal point for new policies and development. Following are some key indicators that demonstrate the size and sophistication of this market in Chile on a standalone basis and relative to other nations in its region.

 

Comparative IT Indicators

 

Chile

Brazil

Argentina

Population (2002)

15,050,340

173,879,000

36,600,000

Telephone mainlines in operation (2002)

3,467,2002

38,810,000

8,009,446

Mobile telephone subscribers (2002)

6,445,698

34,881,000

6,500,000

Personal computers (2002)

1,795,814

13,000,000

3,000,000

Internet users (2002)

3,575,000

14,300,000

4,100,000

Source: Data from International Telecommunication Union

 

Economic Importance

Total ICT spending in 2001 was $5.7 billion representing 8.1% of GDP [1].

 

ICT is increasingly playing a larger part in the Chilean economy. Below is a profile of Chile 's digital economy per 2002 data.

 

Source :www.buyusa.gov

 

2003-2004 Networked Readiness Index

Chile was ranked 32 nd out of 102 countries [2].

Source : World Economic Forum

 

e-Readiness Ranking, 2004

 

This index measures the degree to which a nation is prepared to make use of Internet-based opportunities. Chile ranked 29 th in a survey of 64 countries [2]. The scoring was on a scale from one to ten, ten being the highest and was based on several factors:

 

Business environment

8

Legal and policy

7.69

Supporting services

7.13

Social and cultural environment

6.88

Consumer business adoption

6.26

Connectivity

3.82

Overall

6.35

Soure: Economist Intelligence Unit, May 2004

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