Estonia (Estonia) is a small country in Europe. In this country people do not have to spend a single penny to use the internet. Here every facility is available online. From filing tax returns to paying for car parking, Estonian citizens also make payments online. According to Freedom House, an American non-governmental organization, Estonia is a model country for free internet access around the world. Apart from free internet there are many other things that make this country special. Located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea in the north-east of Europe, this country was a part of the Soviet Union. It separated from Russia in 1991. After this, the deteriorating economy here improved rapidly.
As the smallest member of the European Union and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), the government of Estonia implemented a system of flat income tax for its citizens. It means that every citizen has to pay the same tax here. Along with this, Estonia started a nationwide program in 1996 to make the economy more efficient by connecting citizens to the Internet and today it has become a fully digital country. After separation from Russia, economic reforms took place very quickly here. Today this country is counted among the countries of the European Union with the highest economic growth rate.
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There has been free internet since 2000
Here in the year 2000, free internet was provided in all schools and colleges. Around 90 percent of people here are using internet connectivity. The goal of Estonia’s Ministry of Economy was that every citizen of the country could learn to use the Internet for free for the next one year. He has achieved this goal. There are more than 3 thousand free Wi-Fi spots across the country. Coffee shops, petrol pumps, restaurants, schools-colleges, hospitals, hotels and all government offices have free Wi-Fi. Voting in elections is also done online here.
However, if we talk about the fastest internet, according to the International Broadband Speed Investigation Agency, Norway has the highest net speed. According to statistics, the average mobile phone internet speed here has increased by 69 percent in the last year alone. Currently it is 52.6 megabytes per second. Meaning if you download a 400 MB movie, it will take only 8 seconds.
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Cybercrime is negligible
What is special about Estonia is that there is almost no cybercrime here despite the free Wi-Fi everywhere in the country, which is surprising in itself. It is also believed that the reason for this is that the Estonian government has been conducting periodic campaigns regarding the appropriate use of the Internet. Although the Internet is free here, there are restrictions on access to many things. For example, under the Gambling Act, a specific license is required for any local and foreign gambling site. If there is no license it is closed. As of March 2017, the Estonian Tax and Customs Board had identified 1,200 websites that needed to be shut down because they were unlicensed.
Public transport is also free
Not only is the internet free in Estonia, public transport is also free here. For the first time this decision was taken in the year 2013 by the then mayor of the country’s capital Tallinn, Edgar Savisar. His thinking behind it was that being part of Russia caused a lot of conflict between them, so the people of the country should have a chance to mix as much as possible. First, a referendum for free transport was held here and after receiving overwhelming support, buses and trams were made free for the public. Besides Estonia, France and Germany are also considering making public transport free to combat air pollution. Free buses also run at weekends in Wales, UK.
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Number one in air quality
Even when it comes to clean air, Estonia’s name comes first. According to statistics released last year by the World Health Organization, Estonia is among the few countries with the best air quality. Apart from this, the names of Finland, Sweden, Canada, Norway and Iceland are included in this list. Along with India, Uganda, Mongolia, Qatar and Cameroon are among the countries with the worst air quality.
Tags: Digital payment, The digital world, European Union, Public transport
First published: May 3, 2024, 13:43 IST