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Lifestyle

Estonia: Internet Pioneer

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July 16, 2013

Estonia is one of Europe's largest centers of web technology innovation. The small republic has free public Wi-Fi and internet access is virtually guaranteed.

Many things other Europeans have to leave home to do, Estonians can do on the internet. Since 2007, they've been able to connect their personal IDs to a computer via a USB card reader, so they can fill prescriptions, pay fines, file their tax returns and even register a company online. Since the mid-1990s, the government has been investing one percent of the national budget annually in IT development.

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