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New Arab region technology report reveals accelerating demand, need
for faster roll-out of high-speed Internet
Time to replicate the ‘mobile miracle’ in
broadband
Geneva, 5 March 2012 – New figures released today at ITU’s
Connect Arab Summit
in Doha, Qatar show that information and communication technology (ICT) uptake
continues to accelerate across the Arab region, but underline the need for more
effort to be put into rolling out broadband infrastructure to meet burgeoning
demand from a young, tech-savvy population.
Data from ITU’s ICT Adoption and Prospects in the Arab Region 2012 report
reveal that, over the past five years, the number of mobile cellular
subscriptions in the region has almost tripled, from 126 million in 2006, to
nearly 350 million by end 2011. At the beginning of this year, regional mobile
cellular penetration reached 97 per cent – ten per cent higher than global
penetration.
However, the report warns that such figures can obscure wide disparities
between the region’s ‘hyper-connected’ economies and its less connected nations.
For example, for every 100 people in Saudi Arabia, there are around 188 mobile
phone subscriptions; in Djibouti, there are fewer than 20. More than 80 per cent
of the population in Qatar uses the Internet, but the figure is below five per
cent in Mauritania, Iraq and Somalia. Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC), with their higher incomes, have more than twice as many Internet users
per 100 inhabitants as non-GCC countries.
Region-wide, ITU estimates show that less than 30 per cent of the population
was online at end 2011. Fixed broadband penetration stood at just above two per
cent – well below most other regions, and under the world average of around nine
per cent.
Broadband boost
While most countries in the region have launched 3G mobile broadband
services, and more and more people are using mobile devices to access the
Internet, the region’s active mobile broadband penetration – estimated at around
13 per cent – lies below the world average of 17 per cent.
“With the ‘mobile miracle’ we have brought the benefits of ICTs within reach
of virtually all the world’s people. It is now time to make the next step, and
to ensure that everyone – wherever they live, and whatever their circumstances –
has access to the benefits of broadband,” said ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun
Touré. “In the 21st century broadband networks must be considered basic
infrastructure, just like roads, railways, water and power networks. Broadband
is a powerful social and economic enabler, and will help accelerate progress
towards the Millennium Development Goals, now just three years away.”
Encouragingly, the report highlights significant growth in the volume of
Arabic language digital content in the form of online portals and applications,
and notes that regulators are making good progress in establishing Arabic domain
names.
ICT development rankings
In general, the level of access to ICTs within the Arab States region closely
correlates to a country’s economic status. This is revealed by ITU’s
ICT
Development Index (IDI), which combines 11 indicators covering 152 economies
worldwide to monitor and compare ICT uptake.
The latest IDI findings contained in the new Arab region report show that of
the 16 Arab States included in the index, five lost ground between 2008 and 2010
and dropped in the global ranking. Four countries maintained their positions and
seven (Algeria, Comoros, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) improved
their IDI rankings. Top of the regional list was the UAE, which was in 32nd
place out of 152 in the global IDI rankings. Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia
filled places 44, 45 and 46, respectively.
Between 2008 and 2010, Saudi Arabia saw a massive rise in mobile broadband,
from two million subscriptions to almost 16 million. Morocco also substantially
increased its number of Internet users and mobile broadband subscriptions, and
stands out as the star performer overall, rising ten places in the IDI rankings.
Along with Saudi Arabia, Morocco is well placed to meet the goal of the
Broadband Commission for Digital
Development in having
half its population online by 2015. Qatar has already reached this target,
as have Bahrain, Oman and the UAE.
Policy recommendations
To ensure all citizens throughout the region fully benefit from the potential
of ICTs, the report recommends a number of steps governments could take. These
include ensuring a transparent and predictable regulatory environment that
fosters investment, stimulates competition and helps reduce prices for ICT
services.
“ITU encourages all countries to promote digital inclusion by developing a
national ICT plan that includes concrete targets to evaluate policies, track
progress, and identify market opportunities,” said Brahima Sanou, Director of
ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. “ITU’s Telecommunication Development
Bureau is committed and ready to put its expertise and experience at the service
of each and every Member, accompanying national authorities in the development
of tailored policy frameworks and review processes aligned to their unique ICT
environment and vision.”
An executive summary of the report is available at:
www.itu.int/net/newsroom/connect/arab/2012/index.aspx.
The full report is available for download in English at
www.itu.int/pub/D-IND-AR-2012. The Arabic version will be available shortly –
please contact the ITU Press office at
pressinfo@itu.int
if you wish to receive an alert when this version is available.
View the webcast of this event at:
www.itu.int/ibs/ITU-D/201203doha-press/index.phtml
For more information on the report, please contact:
For ICT statistics:
Susan Teltscher
Head, ICT Data and Statistics Division, ITU
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For information on the Connect Arab Summit:
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Sarah Parkes
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information, ITU
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Zakaria Fawzi
ictQATAR
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