Report (Part 2): Third World Summit on the Internet and Multimedia

Tunisia in the Era of New Technologies

Time: 9 October 2002, 9:00-9:45 Location: A 400 Chair: Mr. Nasser Boumenna (Director of the International Federation of Multimedia Associations, IFMA) Presenters/ Participants: Ms. Sana Ghenima (Business Development Manager of the "Internet and Multimedia Tunisian Society", ATIM)
Dr. Ferial Mouria-Beji, (Chairman and Managing Director of the Tunisian Internet Agency) Reporter: Clara Gámiz, Danielle Dalsoren (ICVolunteers) Languages: English Key words: Internet and Multimedia Tunisian Society (ATIM), Tunisian Internet Agency, Internet Technology (IT), Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), e-Dinar, amara

Over the course of the last few years, new technologies in Tunisia have undergone a profound transformation, thanks to the development of a coherent strategy to keep up with the pace of the ICT revolution. As a result, Tunisia is the most ICT advanced country in the Mediterranean basin. Ms. Ghenima focused her presentation on practical examples and statistics about Tunisia's Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

ICT holds a great deal of potential for Tunisia in particular since e it is a country rich in human resources, but poor in natural resources, according to Ms. Ghenima. She presented five axes of development currently underway in Tunisia and examples of each:

• An adapted telecommunications infrastructure. Tunisia currently has the most developed telecommunications network in the Mediterranean basin. Between 1992 and 2002, the number of fixed telephone lines jumped from 375,000 to 1,107,000. Tunisia also has the capacity for 500,000 mobile phone lines. In addition, an Internet network covers the entire country, accessible via 12 Internet Service Providers (ISPs), with an international transfer rate of 152 Mbits/s.
• The development of adequate human resources. Tunisia is targeting human resources of all ages for training in ICT. Two institutions for higher level ICT education were created in 1998: SUPCOM (Ecole Supérieure des Communications) and ISETCOM (l'Insitut Supérieur des Etudes Technologiques en Communication). There is also an ambitious program to recruit people with higher degrees in other fields and redirect them into ICT careers through specialized ICT-related degrees. In addition, ICT programs exist for continuing professional education, as well as for children. The number of computer science service employees in Tunisia has jumped from 4377 to 6550 between 1997 and 2000.
• ICT content and services. A multitude of services are now offered online, such as university registration, bill payment, tax declaration, postal services, advertisement, etc. The number of enterprises operating in the sector of ICT went from 551 in 1997 to 835 in 2000.
• Modern network and equipment. There are currently about 2.15 computers for every 100 Tunisians. A program called "Family PC" aims to increase the number of home computers in Tunisia by offering them at low cost (about 700 Euros for a computer and printer) with low interest rates. The National Computer Science Park also increased its number of computers from 128,149 in 1997 to 255,245 in 2001. Tunisia currently has 12 ISPs, 450,000 Internet users and 300 publinets.
• A legal framework suitable and adaptable for dealing with ICT. A succession of legal texts regulating the ICT sector has been established since 1997, which allows better management of the immaterial economy. These include a postal code (1998), a law of commerce and electronic signatures (2000), the creation and regulation of a technological pole (2001) and a telecommunications code (2001).

Surprising Issues
Between 1992 and 2002, the number of fixed telephone lines in Tunisia jumped from 375,000 to 1,107,000.

Interesting Questions
A member of the audience asked about how Tunisia is adapting IT to suit local culture. Ms. Ghenima responded that they have developed a form of e-money, named e-Dinar after the local currency, which allows for totally secure online transactions. The e-Dinar is based on a traditional Tunisian concept of "amara", which is proof that a person may use a loaned object.

Conclusions
Ms. Ghenima described Tunisia as a rising force in the area of ICT. She gave concrete examples of the great strides that the country has made toward addressing its own digital divide problems.