2.4. Analysis of results

The 2019 DESI allows the Basque Country to obtain a fifth place within the EU-28 group of countries, with a wide margin with respect to the average.

The Basque Country stands out with its position of leader in connectivity. This position is supported by very positive results in mobile broadband coverage and in fixed and fast broadband take-up. All indicators are above the EU-28 average except for the one related to the price of broadband.

In human capital, the Basque Country occupies a notable eighth position but that translates into disparate results regarding the type of skills analysed. Thus, in the field of skills that go beyond those of the Internet user, the Basque Country shows intermediate levels, while in the field of ICT skills there is some advantage. However, in this last point it is convenient to distinguish between the educational and labour framework; the Basque Country stands out as a leader only in the case of ICT graduates.

The use of Internet services at home is where the Basque Country obtains the lowest result (eighteenth), which represents a position below the EU-28 average. In general, the use of the Internet by citizens, measured both from those who are regular users and from those who have never used the Internet, is correct. However, in most of the online activities and transactions contemplated, the use of the Internet by Basque households is lower than the EU-28 average.

In the field of business, the Basque Country is positioned as a leader in business digitisation, in a dimension in which it occupies the sixth position. However, in the case of SMEs, this incorporation of technology is not transferred to their electronic sales activities (nationally and internationally), reflecting a low proportion of revenues from electronic commerce.

The dimension of digital public services ranks the Basque Country in fifth position, leading aspects of health such as the exchange of medical data or the electronic prescription. The offer of services by the electronic government, both for citizens and businesses, is high. The only caveat is in the open data available by the Administration, which shows opportunities for improvement.