Estonia: Tech-Savvy Country – Savio (India)

The very attribute of humans being socially active was challenged by the recent outage of the COVID-19 ( CORONA ) virus, altering the normal routine of people by demanding them to stay at home and to restrict meeting only a few or no people at all within the days that follow; to follow isolation and observe self-quarantine. However as well phrased by Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park (1993)– ‘Life finds a way’, we humans utilized the most extensively available means to stay in touch and socialize–digital media. The Internet so far had been serving as a boon to connect people living on different parts of the world, but recent times have proved that it also has the potential to establish connection among people walls apart from each other.

In situations like these, it is a matter of well-developed infrastructure that helps people remain connected with their peers, work force and family. A very eminent role to ensure this connection is the played by the country and the government by laying strong foundations to provide to all citizens, good quality internet and associated facilities for a normal procedural workflow.

To elucidate on the concept, Estonia, as a country that humbly prides its technical bedrock and IT pillars, has proved its worth in these times of isolation. The online services that have already been a part of one’s everyday life, have now proven that a broad mindset and futuristic thinking, can actually prepare people to face such adversities.

The paradigms that have lived up to the challenge posed by the virus, to empower the people including students, professionals and everyone else, alike are illustrated in the following way:

1. Internet Connectivity and Uninterrupted Connection.

The Digital-savvy nation has kept itself at par with Internet as Human Right provided us uninterrupted and seamless internet connectivity – one that not only supports extensive video meetings for longer durations but also gaming routines that require high bandwidths. Even though with increasing load on the pipeline with the entire country going online, the servers have been rendered as ‘healthy’ to work round the clock with minimum maintenance cycles. Internet sources including University routing and private firms have performed essentially well in ensuring minimum lag towards all internet-driven services. Reiterating the fact, that the country has always been standing strong as a tech giant, internet was least affected given the preparedness and the measures to get better with time, even when the pandemic was not a thing.

The Digital-savvy nation has kept itself at par with Internet as Human Right provided us uninterrupted and seamless internet connectivity

2. Digital Transactions and Documentation.

Not only has the practice of digital transfers and online transactions been a trend in Estonia, it became a regular practice with times that followed. The intuitiveness of being able to handle financial transactions, contract signing and document advancements within banks and firms has been aiding people, alike during isolation. The procedural flow of executing transactions at the convenience of your mobile and laptop within a few clicks, has not only kept the people at ease to visit the places in person, but the highly secure network lines have provided them the mental satisfaction to be able to append these at will. This has been an apex with the financial months approaching during the pandemic yet, all transactions seem to have been executing almost without any technical glitches. The banks have been generous enough to have increased the daily limit for online transactions as well, which shows not only the ethics but also the opportunities that Estonia offers to its people during crisis or even otherwise!

3. Automated Deliveries and Robotic Practices.

A research-oriented country as Estonia is, the very prospects of research and development in cutting edge technology like artificial intelligence, robotics, space technology and others, has enabled startups and initiatives to invest their time and money to institute the environment that nurtures high-level autonomy and autonomous practices. The ideology to deploy self-driving cars, automated delivery services by vehicles and drones to reach epicenters of the virus propagation is already assembled and worked upon. This has enabled people to receive provisions like food and medical amenities at their doorstep, without physical interactions, and has helped curb the spread of the virus over magnitudes. These essentials have been the result of the self-motivation within a developing country as well as financial support from the government and private firms, to keep us ready with field deployment during an emergency in the country.

4. University of Tartu.

Above all, the one establishment that binds us together in the City of Good Thoughts; the University of Tartu has been prime in motivating its students, researchers, professors and everyone who look up to it as a beacon of advanced education. Imparting knowledge and research opportunities within disciplines, that make us ground ready to face such situations, the university provides the surroundings to develop strategies the provide immediate resourcefulness and promise long term reliability. From organizing online events and webinars, to being available in answering to queries and also providing digital material to its peers, the university has well dominated with the fact that digital empowerment is the key to be able to sustain the spread of the virus and maintain a ‘Work-From-Home’ routine.

Conclusive statements would not supersede what has been established already to identify Estonia a country with advanced IT infrastructure. The belief that continuous efforts shall keep it sane during times of crisis by ensuring digital connectivity, within professional and personal lives, is the key to what makes this nation stand above such adverse situations.

Wishing Good Health and Safety for One and All.