Measuring Arab Region’s Information Society

The Fifth Annual Meeting on Telecommunication Development 

in the Arab RegionBeirut (Lebanon), 28 – 31 May 2003

magpantay@itu.intInternational Telecommunication Union

Topics

Data collection Some facts Problems Suggestions

ITU Data Collection

Main inter-governmental agency collecting ICT infrastructure and user statistics for all countries and regions

Publications include Yearbook of Statistics, World Telecommunication Development Report, WTI CD-ROM and regional Publications www.itu.int/ict

The importance of Information Society indicators

Need up-to-date, relevant and comparable statistics to monitor and analyse Information Society developments

Indicators should be readily available so that more time can be spent on analysis

Although many indicators are useful, this presentation focuses on access to Information & Communication Technology (ICT)

Sources of Information Society indicators

Telecom ministries and regulators National statistical offices Telecom operators Market research firms

What indicators should be collected?

Indicators meeting in January 2003 outlined indicators that should be collected and provided definitions of indicators and examples from countries http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/material/Top50_e.doc

Proposed additional indicators are also listed on ITU website http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/material/Proposed%20additions.doc

Need to collect indicators and make available information that are used to measure the UN Millennium Development Goals http://millenniumindicators.un.org/unsd/mi/mi_goals.asp

WSIS Statistical Side event that will be held in Dec. 8-9 in Geneva will also outline indicators to measure access by individuals and households

World Telecommunication Development Report will be released during WSIS and its theme will be “Measuring the Information Societies”

Categories of Top 50

Telephone network Other services Quality of service Traffic Tariffs Staff Revenue Investment

Telecommunication/ICT Indicators

Fixed Telephone Network Main lines in

operation Total capacity of local

switching exchanges % digital % residential % urban main lines Public payphones

Cellular Network Cellular mobile

subscribers Prepaid cellular

subscribers Digital cellular subscribers Mobile Internet

subscribers % coverage of mobile

cellular network (land area)

% coverage of mobile cellular network (population)

Telecommunication/ICT Indicators

Internet Total subscribers

Dial-up subscribers Cable modem Internet

subscribers DSL subscribers

Total users % female users % female users as % of

female population

Internet Public Internet access

facilities PWLAN locations International Internet

Bandwidth (Mbps)

Telecommunication/ICT Indicators

ISDN Subscribers Basic rate ISDN

subscribers Primary rate ISDN

subscribers Quality of Service

Waiting list for main lines

Faults per 100 main lines per year

% of faults cleared by next working day

Traffic (minutes) Local telephone Fixed to mobile National trunk telephone International (outgoing,

incoming) Dial-up Internet traffic Outgoing mobile

minutes SMS Public data traffic (Non-

Internet)

Telecommunication/ICT Indicators

Tariffs (Residential, Business, Mobile

cellular) Connection fee Monthly subscription Price of 3 minute local call

(peak) Price of 3 minute local call (off-

peak) Internet charges Data communication

charges Leased line charges

Staff Full-time telecom

staff Female telecom staff Mobile

communications staff

Revenue and Investment Total Telephone Mobile

Classifying ICT Indicators

National Households

Community

Fixed telephone

Lines in service

Fixed Localities with fixed telephone

Mobile telephone

Subscribers Mobile Population coverage

Total telephone

Fixed+Mobile Fixed or Mobile

Television Sets (Regular, Pay)

Radio Sets Radio

Personal computer

Total PC

Internet SubscribersUsers

Home Internet access (connection type)

Number of localities with public access

Some Facts

Millennium Development Goals

Goal 8: Build a global partnership for development… includes 3 ICT indicators:

Telephone lines and cellular subscribers per 100 people

Personal computers in use per 100 people

Internet users per 100 people

1.0

15.7

2.6

5.4

0.042.9

20%24%

108%

Telephonelines andcellular

subscribers

PCs Internet

19962002CAGR

Penetration in Arab region

Source: ITU World Telecommunication Indicators database

ICT Use Index, 2002

0.0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

UA

E

Bah

rain

Kuw

ait

Qat

ar

Leba

non

Sau

di A

rabi

a

Jord

an

Om

an

Mor

occo

Pal

estin

e

Tun

isia

Egy

pt

Ara

b

Liby

a

Syr

ia

Alg

eria

Yem

en Iraq

Sud

an

Source: MADAR Research, May 2003

How does Arab Region compare?

8.08.7

2.9 2.6

0

5

10

15

20

25

Main lines Cellular PC Internet

Pen

etra

tio

n (

%),

200

2

Sub-Saharan AfricaSouth-central AsiaSouth-eastern AsiaArab regionLatin America & CaribbeanWORLD

Source: ITU World Telecommunication Indicators database

Internet users per 100 people

9.7

2.6

0

10

20

30

40

Yem

en

Sud

an

Mau

ritan

ia

Com

oros

Djib

outi

Syr

ia

Alg

eria

Mor

occo

Liby

a

Egy

pt

Ara

b

Pal

estin

e

Tun

isia

Jord

an

Om

an

Sau

di A

rabi

a

Wor

ld

Kuw

ait

Qat

ar

Leba

non

Bah

rain

UA

E

pene

trat

ion

(%),

200

2

Source: ITU World Telecommunication Indicators database

Internet cafés

0

10

20

30

40

0 5 10 15

Internet cafes per 100'000 people

Inte

rnet

use

r p

er 1

00 p

eop

le UAE

Lebanon

Bahrain

Saudi Arabia

Qatar

Oman

Algeria Libya

Kuw ait

JordanMoroccoSyria

Tunisia

Source: Madar Research, October 2002

General ICT indicators

Radio86 million sets

29 per 100 people

Television67 million sets

23 per 100 people

Internet7.8 million users

2.6 per 100 people

Daily Newspaper 8.7 million in circulation

3.2 per 100 people

Arab States Profile, 2002

Internet users profile, UAE

Female36%

Male64%

30-3932%

40-4924%

50-597%

20-2926%

< 2011%

33%

20%

47%>15000

3000-8000

8001-15000

Post Graduate

25%

Graduate54%

Low er6%High

School15%

5 hrs37%

5-10 hrs45%

> 10 hrs18%

Source: Emirates Internet & Multimedia

Gender AgeIncome (Dhs)

EducationUsage/week

Problems with Arab Region’s statistics

Hard to find In many cases, not readily available No data on websites

Non-existent No country has carried out detailed ICT

surveys Reliability

Particularly for PCs and Internet users

Suggestions

Telecom regulators should improve collection and dissemination of statistics including detailed statistical reports

National statistical offices need to carry out household ICT surveys including individuals’ access to the Internet*

Make information available and easy to find on the web site

Improved dialogue between regulators, national statistical offices and international agencies to enhance comparability

Role of ITU Arab Regional office in the collection of ICT indicators in its region

Research on new indicators: broadband indicators, mobile Internet indicators and knowledge indicators

* For the scope of this presentation. However business, education and government ICT surveys are also needed to measure impact in those sectors.

Thank you.

magpantay@itu.int