While it has strong infrastructure, Brunei scored 51 per cent in the recently released Pulse Internet Resilience Index (IRI) of the Internet Society, ranking third of 11 countries along with Malaysia and Thailand in the Southeast Asian region. It scored behind Singapore with 72 per cent, Vietnam with 52 per cent and Malaysia and Thailand with 51 per cent.
The Sultanate scored well in mobile network (with 72 per cent) and connectivity (with 71 per cent). The regional average is 49 per cent, higher than Asia with 46 per cent, Americas and Oceania with 45 per cent each, and Africa with 35 per cent, but below Europe’s 60 per cent.
Described as a first-of-its-kind tool, the IRI offers insights into the Internet resilience of 170 countries. It is based on four key metrics: infrastructure, performance, security and market readiness.
Internet Society, a non-profit Internet watchdog, tracks resilience across key metrics including infrastructure, performance, security, and market readiness through its Pulse Platform.
“Internet resilience means maintaining an acceptable level of service and connection despite faults and challenges to normal operation. This focus has been increasing among policymakers and activists worldwide as Internet infrastructure becomes essential for a nation’s economy and society,” the Internet Society said in a statement recently.
For performance, the Sultanate scored 65 per cent and 46 per cent for security. Security measures the ability of the network to resist intentional or unintentional disruptions through the adoption of security technologies and best practices, while market readiness is the ability of the market to self-regulate and provide affordable prices to end-users by maintaining a diverse and competitive market.
The infrastructure score is based on the existence and availability of physical infrastructure that provides Internet connectivity, while performance is the ability of the network to provide end-users with seamless and reliable access to Internet services.
“Reliable Internet connectivity is vital for everyone, but many countries lack a reliable Internet infrastructure to provide such access. Low-income countries often have under-provisioned networks and don’t have a robust cable infrastructure and redundant interconnection systems,” the Internet Society said.
“Further, in countries or regions where the likelihood of Internet outages is higher, it is unlikely that neighbouring countries can provide better interconnection and global providers are less likely to invest to improve existing infrastructure because the connection is unreliable. The cost of Internet access for end users is also higher,” it said. – Azlan Othman
