India climbs 11 spot to 43 in network readiness: Survey

New York: The U.S. fell two spots to fifth in a ranking of national Internet and phone systems, while China and India, which lead the world in wireless customers, were the top performers in the so-called BRIC markets, which also include Brazil and Russia. China climbed nine spots to 37th, and India leapt 11 to 43rd, helped by network investments and the decreasing cost of using services in those countries. Russia fell six spots from last year to 80th place, and Brazil's ranking was little changed at 61st, reports Economic Times.

"There's a widening gap between the BRICs - China and India are growing so much," said Irene Mia, Senior Economist of the Global Competitiveness Network at the World Economic Forum and Co-editor of the report. On the other side talking about the U.S, Soumitra Dutta, Professor of Business and Technology at Insead and Co-editor of the report said, "The U.S. has to be more decisive in taking action. It's a global race right now. It's an issue of speed," said Soumitra Dutta, Professor of Business and Technology at Insead and Co-editor of the report.

Even, Obama government is spending as much as $16 billion to overhaul the nation's Internet system, an effort to get Americans connected to broadband networks. The study compares network readiness using an index based on 68 measures, including government rules, infrastructure and tax rates.

The U.S. faces increasing regulation and higher prices for phone and Internet access, hurting its ranking. "If you're an investor, you want to go somewhere where it's easier to start the business. It's important to see whether the government is prioritising the sector," Mia