We all know the Internet is amazing, but did you know that it’s also making the world a better place? The McKinsey Global Institute has just released a report on the Internet’s role in global financial growth, jobs and industry, and the results show that Internet connectivity is driving all sectors in the right direction.
Among the findings of the report, which analysed data from 13 countries around the world (Australia wasn’t one of them), the Internet accounts for 3.4% of GDP in the countries looked at and 21% of GDP growth in mature countries over the past five years; The Internet created 2.6 new jobs for every one lost offline; 75% of the impact from the Internet comes from traditional industries becoming more efficient; Small and medium businesses using web technologies grow and export twice as much as others and the Internet creates up to €20 per internet user per month of consumer surplus.
THe report details its findings in great detail, arguing that the countries who are investing the most in the internet are going to get the most out of it, as summed up nicely in the report’s conclusion:
Understanding just how much the Internet contributes to national economies should spur government and business leaders to seek ways to optimize their participation in the global Internet ecosystem. Encouraging usage is an unavoidable first step in leveraging public spending, but leaders must also focus on providing human capital, financial capital, infrastructure, and the appropriate business environment.
If that isn’t an indirect endorsement for the NBN, what is?
matt
Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 3:50 PMlol yeah… most likely because of the next to useless I.T. and telco ‘professionals’, of which it would take an entire union to screw in a ****ing lightbulb!
you know the type… the people responsible for all the banks crashing ect… nearly a bln dollars for the ATO to update some of its I.T. Systems…
lol, just kidding… it massively lowers the barrier to entry. its awesome!
mick
Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 5:06 PMevery industry is like that though. for every good builder or plumber or sparky there are 20 dodgy ones that cut corners.
its just that people get really up in arms over IT problems because they have no idea how complicated it can get. They hook up to a WiFi hot spot at McDonald’s, how hard can this networking caper be.
the general public only thinks of the IT they use when its disrupted. they never spare a though for it when it blends seamlessly into the background.
IT systems will continue to fail until business gets the idea that its not something that you can afford to pinch pennies on. while they continue to race to the bottom for the lowest priced contractor they are going to get cheap results.
you get what you pay for. and no that bloke down the street who “knows about computers” should never go near anything ever. just pay up. and then you wont have problems that were avoidable to start with
Grandpa
Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 7:20 PMThese tubes excite me…in saying that im 86…granpa my prince albert hurts
Gerry Hervey
Friday, May 27, 2011 at 12:11 AM*fingers in ear* LALALALALALALALALALALALA!! Can’t hear you!
Steve
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 12:40 AMThese job gains are certainly NOT in the USA. The internet has totally torpedoed jobs here in the US.
Debi
Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 5:14 AMI agree with steve, I use to work in the composing room of a newspaper, well guess what happened to that job.
the postal service is all but=gone!
When was the last time you called any business and got to talk to a person.
Travel agencies =gone
it goes on and on