Geneva - Denmark, Sweden and the United States lead the world in information and communication technology readiness, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said in a study released Thursday.

They were followed by Singapore, Switzerland, the other Nordic countries and Canada in the list of the top ten most networked nations.

The WEF said this use of the technology was a catalyst for growth in these countries and should be for others as well. It warned that during the economic crisis governments should not turn away from developing this sector.

The report said that mobile telephony has "proven instrumental" in reducing poverty in developing countries.

China moved up 11 positions from last year and was ranked 46, out of the 134 countries surveyed. Russia came in at number 74.

Sub-Saharan Africa, the report noted, was lagging behind in terms of network readiness, harming the continent's business attractiveness and chances to develop.

Mobile telephony, though, has enabled Africa to bypass its lack of land-line infrastructure and jump ahead, but improvements were still needed.

The report said a certain amount of government regulation was required in all countries to ensure mobile companies were advancing the nations as a whole and not, for example, "investing in rich niche areas and neglecting more low income and remote areas."

The WEF also stressed the importance of Internet availability and ease of access as crucial part of the network readiness gauge. (dpa)