A Good Start for ICT in Tunisia – Part I
Digitization and information and communication technologies (ICTs) are widely recognized as key catalysts in transforming a nation’s economy and improving citizen well-being. Full use of ICTs also offers new ways of creating value, boosting higher productivity, engendering economic growth, and creating new quality jobs in the current hyper connected digital economic world.
In Tunisia, the ICT sector, including the telecommunications, software, services, and multimedia industries, is dynamic and a priority sector, with one of the highest growth rates (14.6 percent in 2012), and has been expanding rapidly. It contributed 7.6 percent to GDP in 2012[1] compared to only 2.5 percent in 2002 and 4.6 percent in 2007, as a result of implementing an ambitious ICT strategy involving reform of the regulatory and institutional environments; development of human resources capacity; improvement of infrastructure in terms of networks, equipment, and services; ICT use; and enabling an environment for ICT business growth.
Within this context, the Davos Economic Forum’s Networked Readiness Index ranked Tunisia 50th of 142 countries in global ICT competitiveness (WEF 2012). (Tunisia was ranked first among African countries and seventh among Arab countries).
Tunisia has an advanced and reliable ICT infrastructure throughout the country, with over 100 percent mobile phone penetration (118.6 percent in 2012), and extensive use of broadband, particularly 3G broadband, which has grown rapidly as a result of the competition in the wireless market among three providers—Orange Tunisia, Tunisie Telecom, and Tunisiana (Ooredoo). The telecommunication networks are equipped with high-speed multifunctional switches that handle voice, Internet, and multimedia traffic simultaneously.
The international connectivity of Tunisia is secure and has sufficient capacity to meet current and future needs through modern international gateways, and three international submarine cables (Hannibal, Keltra, and Sea-Me-We 4),with a combined capacity exceeding 4 terabits per second (Tb/s). The international Internet bandwidth reached 82.5 Gb/s, up from only 3.1 Gb/s in 2007.
Despite these achievements, Tunisia needs to create a more trustworthy and reliable environment to spur the ICT and technology sectors of the economy to drive growth. Part II of this blog series explores some of Tunisia’s options for ICT leadership and ICT-driven growth.
Read Part II
[1] ICT Ministry report; http://www.mincom.tn
Gley Elhadj is the Minister of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy in Tunisia. He is appointed Chairman and CEO of the Tunisian Post Co., to put into action its transformation from an administrative entity to a commercial company and to integrate new technologies into its long-standing traditions. In 1991, he was appointed as Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, to lead the Structural Adjustment programme in this sector. He holds the highest diploma of the Administrative School of Administration.
