Each year, Denmark (DK) ranks among the top three happiest countries in the world, according to the United Nation’s World Happiness Report. Now there’s one more reason for Danes to smile. In a recent study by VPN provider, Surfshark, DK ranks first among 110 nations as having the best digital quality of life; the U.S. is fifth. The rating is based on five “pillars” of measurement: internet affordability, quality, infrastructure, security & government. Within the pillars are indicators that further refine the “quality” measurement, such as individuals using the internet & network readiness. According to Strand Consult, a tech consultancy in Copenhagen, DK, the country was an early internet adopter & quickly put all its gov’t online. It created tools for citizens & businesses to interact more easily with the gov’t, stimulating mass use of the internet. In the U.S. Strand says there’s lots of paperwork when dealing with the gov’t, resulting in systems that aren’t as integrated & seamless as DK’s have been over the past 20 years. South Korea (KR) placed second in overall rankings, nailing the top spot in internet quality & both broadband & mobile speed growth. Because gaming is very big in KR there’s lot of bandwidth available. Experts say it’s important to note how much larger the U.S. is to the countries above it in the rankings. The U.S. has some 125 million households, vs. 2.7 million in DK & 21.5 million in KR. Based on sheer size, they say the U.S. is doing quite well.
