INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
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The ARPT is in charge of regulating postal services and the telecommunications sector. This includes promoting competition in the latter. It is also responsible for the procedures for the allocation of operating licences and defines the rules on pricing for the services provided to the public. It ensures that the licence conditions are implemented and that the telecommunications infrastructure is shared.
In 2005, the MPTIC was assisted by a United States (US)-funded project, the Internews Network Global Internet Policy Initiative (GIPI). This project aimed to assist policy and regulatory actions needed to address the identified constraints on access to and use of the internet in Algeria.
At that time, the MPTIC and ARPT had been focusing on important policy and regulatory decisions aimed at liberalising the telecommunications sector in order to expand internet access. In 2006, Algeria scored only 0.35 on the UN E-Government Readiness Index, with a mere 1.1 personal computers and 0.59 broadband subscribers per 100 people. Since then, however, liberalisation has created a competitive market in Algeria, increasing the total number of telephone subscribers (mobile and fixed telephony) to more than 30 million from 1.4 million in 2002. There are now 71 ISPs and eleven providers of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services.
The Algerian Constitution protects the rights and liberties of the country’s citizens by guaranteeing fundamental human and citizens’ rights and liberties; freedom of creed and opinion; freedom of trade and industry; and freedom of intellectual, artistic and scientific innovation. It also states that no publication can be seized without warrant, and guarantees the privacy of correspondence and communication, freedom of expression, and equal access to education and professional training.
Legislation dealing with freedom of speech was set up by Law 90-07 of 3 April 1990. The law abolished the state monopoly on the information industry by permitting the creation of several independent newspapers. Because of the law, Algeria is considered one of the most free Arab countries in the region. However, this freedom needs to be qualified. The law also states that each journalist proven guilty of insulting the president of the republic, the army, the national assembly or other state institutions shall be sentenced for up to two years in jail.
Algerian legislation has even incorporated the concept of “digital content” through an amendment to the criminal code. It now considers insult or defamation to include writing, drawings or speech, radio and television broadcasts or any electronic means (including computers and the internet).
Accessing information: Projects and initiatives to bridge the information divide the Algerian geography includes the huge Sahara Desert and two significant mountain ranges. As a result, most infrastructure (including the internet) is concentrated in urban areas. Non-urban areas have little access to information by virtue of the fact that they are not even connected to the network.
The Algerian socio-cultural environment is another barrier to accessing information, especially due to the mistrust of technology. This mistrust is encouraged by incidents such as pornography being viewed by students in cybercafes.
A further key barrier to accessing content involves the difficulty of getting access to the information. Information related to economic opportunities at national or local level, as well as to administrative procedures, may exist online on government agency websites, but citizens are neither informed nor encouraged to use the internet as a formal and official source of information.
The e-Algeria strategy is based on several goals: boosting the use of ICTs in public administration and businesses; developing incentive mechanisms and measures to give citizens access to ICT equipment and networks; stimulating the development of the digital economy; strengthening high and very high speed telecommunication infrastructure; developing human capacities; strengthening research, development and innovation; updating the national legal framework; recognising the value of international cooperation; and establishing e-monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
• Algerians are increasingly tech-savvy and interested in technology and know-how transfer in the ICT sector.Government ministries are interested in modernisation and digitisation of record-keeping.
• Home Internet penetration rates remain below 10%, but business Internet usage is estimated at over 40%
• Mobile phones (GSM) are commonplace, and Algeria is looking toward fourth-generation technology.
• Other services, such as GPS-based technology, also show potential.
Opportunities
• Several key government ministries and public institutions have started the process of modernizing and digitizing their records, including the tax authority. These are large undertakings, requiring various consultative and solutions-based services.
• Business-to-business opportunities for ICT strategies and solutions will increase.
• WiFi, though still in its infancy in Algeria, is a highly-desired technology particularly among potential government and business end-users.
• The e-Algeria 2013 Strategy is a GOA program that aims to provide e- government and e-business solutions and nearly 300 on-line services for Internet users in Algeria.
• Since 2009, Algérie Telecom, Algeria‘s state-owned phone company, is developing a major 5-year $ 6 billion infrastructure development plan.
• After the successful launch at Sriharikota, Chenai, by the Indian launcher PSLV-5, Algeria is accelerating the drafting of the cahier of charge of a $ 13 billion satellite-network project aiming at answering the needs of all the sectors of activity using satellite resources.
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