In many parts of the world, "digital life" is no longer possible to separate from everyday life. Internet High speeds, mobile accessibility, cashless payments are now the undisputed features of our lives - but also features that guide the global economy.
Some countries are still taking hesitant steps in this direction. Others already have a strong presence in the prelude to the digital future, paving the way and pioneering with excellent and efficient online services and seamless accessibility.
The InterNations network recently released a report entitled "Digital Life Abroad", trying to record which countries occupy the highest positions in this ranking, on behalf of residents and based on the availability of online government services, the ease of obtaining a domestic mobile number telephone, high speed internet availability at home, cashless payments and seamless internet access.
The BBC addressed residents of the countries in the first places in each of the five categories recorded in the report, trying to outline what it is like to live in an advanced country, with the above-mentioned conditions.
Regarding Greece, it is in 41st place in terms of Quality of Life, in 52nd place in terms of Digital Life but in 13th place in terms of the opportunity to make friends.
1st place in the overall ranking
For those who follow the developments in the (digital) world, its ranking Estonia in the first place is no surprise. It is a country that has invested in its digital infrastructure since its independence in 1991. The government-funded E-Estonia program has brought e-voting, e-health services, digital banking and even e-residency programs to the country, allowing non-Estonian citizens to apply for virtual citizenship. This gives them access to benefits such as ID, banking, payments and starting a company. Today the program is aimed at "digital nomads" and foreign entrepreneurs interested in starting a company in the EU. This in turn opens up new opportunities for the Estonian economy.
"Here in Estonia it is considered a basic human right to have access to the internet. "Even the remote islands have internet," said Alexandra Nima, an Austrian entrepreneur currently living in the Estonian capital, Tallinn. "Everything here, from registering as a resident of the country or starting a business (online of course) becomes as fast as possible." Developments in the direction of connectivity mean that even phone calls are considered somewhat outdated. "It's very easy for me to ask something via Viber rather than pick up the phone," adds Tarmo Annus, a Tallinn resident and employee of the Obyte platform. "Instead of calling a store to see if they are open during the holidays, I am sending a message to Viber."
Of course, the digital nature of the country's infrastructure also has its problems. Estonia was the first country to receive a cyber attack in 2007. "The attack blocked websites and paralyzed the entire internet infrastructure of the country. "Bank cards and mobile networks froze, alarms sounded everywhere," recalls Dave Phillips. He was the US ambassador to Estonia during the attacks and recently published a book about his experience.
As a result of the attacks, the ΝΑΤΟ prepared a handbook for dealing with international cyber-crises, while Estonia proposed the Nato Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence to prevent and deal with possible future attacks.
2st place in the overall ranking
With a very good performance in four of the five categories, Finland ranks second in the overall ranking and first in non-cash payments. The role of the internet is considered so important in the country that in 2010 the government recognized as a legal right of every citizen to have access to a broadband network. And it was the first country to do that.
"High-speed internet access combined with freedom of speech makes the system here more sustainable and secure," said Heikki Väänänen, a Finnish CEO and founder of the rating platform HappyOrNot, who lives in the south of the country. "Everyone has access to information and this gives equal opportunities for everyone to learn and influence the future of the country."
Very easy for foreigners in the country is the ease of online access to government services and the automatic translation of many services. "Digital life brings automation, such as to supermarket cashiers, but also online services in English, which makes everyday life easier for many who do not speak or understand Finnish," explains Peter Seenan, founder of the Finland My Home blog. , who is originally from Scotland and lived for eight years in Helsinki. "There is so much information online in English, at Φινλανδία, which you can from making an appointment with a doctor until you learn your rights as an employee. "This is a huge change from the time I first came here in 2004."
The digital infrastructure is in line with the country's emphasis on education and community building, with the result that Finland is also investing in "natural" places, really, where people can "connect". "The new library just built in central Helsinki has amazing digital features," explains Seenan. "Community centers are great places where a lot of different people meet to exercise, share their food and connect online."
Despite the good internet and access to mobile networks even in the most remote areas, getting offline is not so difficult for Finns.
"Finns are stuck with their farms in the summer, and their minds go offline," Seenan explains. Finland has over half a million such farms, where citizens resort to enjoying the relaxation of 'mökkielämä' or 'farm life'.
"Finland has recently been recognized as one of the countries with the best physical condition in the world, with more than half of Finns aged 30 to 64 catching the minimum weekly exercise recommended by the WHO, ie the target 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 70 minutes of intense exercise per week ", he adds.
6st place in the overall ranking
The Israel is in third place in terms of both unobstructed internet access and ease of obtaining a mobile phone number, and has a strong and innovative technology center. Residents have happily adopted the "Startup Nation" designation and few are off social media and communication applications.
"Even the elderly have smartphones and communicate via Facebook or WhatsApp or even video chat in Messenger. "It is very possible to see a woman, for example, in her 70s, exchanging messages or making video calls with her grandchildren who are in the USA," describes Maria Pinelis, a spokeswoman for InterNations and a resident of Israel.
According to Rafael Hope, CEO and co-founder of digital service provider Amen V'Amen, who lives near Tel Aviv, the internet is fast, cheap and reliable, which helps bring entrepreneurs and digital nomads together. "I work more from home and from cafes, which means I rely heavily on the public internet. "Many cafes have free WiFi and local internet service providers offer WiFi in many places - landmarks, free for users."
Those interested in start-up they usually choose Tel Aviv, the "city that never sleeps", as Hope says, as it is home to almost a thousand startups in the country. "It certainly motivates many Israelis, especially young people, who choose to lift the weight of high rents in Tel Aviv to be part of this 'scene'."
7th place in the general classification
Ο Canada consistently records very good performance in almost all categories, especially in the availability of online government services and cashless payments. Digital life is easier in big cities, where technology adoption has become faster and internet services are also faster and more accessible.
"Big cities like Toronto are friendlier in digital life," says Canadian Penguin and Pia blogger Eric Wychopen. "Most non-cash payment methods - and mobile payments - are applied to small new stores," he explains.
Here the internet connection is more expensive than in other countries, as the telecommunications industry is not as well established and the coverage in remote areas may have "gaps". "Canada ranks first in terms of expensive internet, and has not-so-high-speed connections," says Thomas Jankowski, head of digital development at the Coinsquare cryptocurrency platform.
In general, however, the availability of government services online and unrestricted access to such services (the country ranks 8th and 11th respectively) helps entrepreneurs, making starting a business and managing it very easy from anywhere. .
"Being able to open and operate one online business, manage banking, operation, bookkeeping, bill payment, document renewal, and all this from your home, a cafe or even a camping tent can work wonders in improving the cost of a business and saving time "adds Jankowski.
27st place in the overall ranking
In the category of high-speed internet availability to home users, South Korea is in the first place, allowing its citizens to "gas" online wherever they want.
"Everyday life in South Korea moves fast enough. "From buying and distributing food to paying for it, everything can be done in five seconds," said Choi Ye Eun, a Seoul resident who specializes in KaKao Bank, a combination of digital banking and messenger.
Its high ranking is due to the provision of fast internet to home users, but the country has one of the highest internet speeds in the world, which means that entertainment options, from games to video streaming, are available everywhere. "It's amazing that we're not bored on the train and we can watch something on YouTube or surf hashtags on Instagram," says Choi.
Seoul resident Lee Namoo (Martin) agrees. "The speed of the internet in Korea is enviable, we take for granted the uninterrupted video streaming, the very fast download of games and the communication, for example with video calls," he says.
The government allows relatively easy access to the internet, unlike China, according to the BBC, which pushes its citizens to participate more in the public. "Digital equality has also promoted democracy in South Korea," Choi said. "Unrestricted internet access has helped citizens become more interested in social issues and has allowed them to take action against wrong decisions by politicians."
Social media is credited with boosting the candlelight protests in 2016-2017, which led to the resignation of former President Park Geun-hye, whom they accused of abuse of power and corruption, as well as the spread of the #MeToo movement, which brought arrests. but also raising public awareness of the issue of sexual harassment worldwide.
Some services and applications, however, leave things pending despite quick access to them. "Some digital services do not have basic usability, and software sometimes slows down my devices and communicates personal information," says Lee.
Earlier this year, it was found that some South Korean applications for Android allowed passwords and users' financial information to be leaked, and South Korea was named by Bloomberg Law as the country with the highest risk of information leakage. As an alternative to home applications, Lee prefers American ones like Amazon and PayPal, which have a more user-friendly interface.