On 25 February 2016, the European Commission published the results of the 2016 edition of the Digital Economy and Society Index ("DESI").

The DESI is an online tool to measure the progress of EU Member States towards a digital economy and society. The DESI is structured around five principal dimensions: connectivity, human capital, use of internet, integration of digital technology and digital public services. The data, which is mostly from 2015, provides an overview of the top digital performers and of the state of digital Europe.

The findings show that EU Member States have made progress in areas such as connectivity and digital skills, as well as in public services, since the publication of the Commission's Digital Market Strategy in May 2015. For the first time, the European Commission is comparing the EU to some of the most digitalised countries in the world (Japan, the USA and South Korea). While highlighting that all EU countries (except Sweden) have improved their score, the DESI also shows that the pace of progress is slowing down. According to the European Commission, action is needed, at both the EU and national levels, to remove the obstacles which prevent EU Member States from fully benefitting from digital opportunities.

According to the DESI 2016, Belgium ranks fifth among the 28 EU Member States. Belgium performs better than the EU average but it has improved at a slower rate than the EU as a whole.

Compared to last year, Belgium has improved or maintained its good scores in most of the DESI dimensions. Belgium is one of the leading performers in connectivity (it scored second in the EU). The coverage of the country is complete: 99% is covered by fast networks (at least 30 Mbps) and 78% of households subscribe to fixed broadband. While Belgium has an outstanding performance in terms of connectivity, it faces two challenges for fast Internet access. First, it needs to increase further the uptake of mobile broadband as mobile devices are becoming an essential gateway for consumers to communicate, work and shop in the digital economy. Second, in order to keep its leadership position in connectivity, Belgium has to encourage the deployment of ultrafast broadband connections (above 100 Mbps).

In terms of the propensity of individuals using Internet services, Belgium ranks third among EU countries. 65% of Internet users listen to music, play games and watch videos online and Belgian businesses are second in Europe (50%) when it comes to electronic information sharing through business management software. The supply of Digital Public Services improved over the last period: 39% of Belgian Internet users actively used eGovernment services and 85% of the administrative steps in a major life event can be completed online.

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