Responsible
Ministry: Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (P&T)
Telecommunication
Operator: Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (P&T)
Telecommunication
Regulator: The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications is both the
operating and regulating entity in Algeria, with respect to telecommunication services.
Deregulation activities of the ministry started in 1990, primarily in the procurement and
distribution of telecommunication equipment. Its role in the supply of consumer equipment
is now limited to defining technical standards and approval of imported equipment. The
Ministry has exclusive rights on all telecommunication services, including cellular radio.
The cellular radio service uses NMT 900 to provide service to about 19,000 subscribers in
1998. A new GSM-based network is planned for implementation in 1998-1999. A VSAT private
network is also to be launched sometime in 1999.
Algeria spent
heavily on telecommunication infrastructure when oil revenues were at their highest in the
1970s and early 1980s. As a result, the network is in a relatively good condition despite
the need to expand in response to additional demands and traffic on the network.
Nonetheless, Algeria is now facing economic as well as political difficulties which make
it difficult to upgrade the existing telecommunication network.
The current
domestic network in Algeria consists of over 44 domestic satellite earth stations. Algeria
also installed 2,500 kilometres of fibre optic links to form the core north-south and
east-west fibre optic backbone. The transmission network is approximately 70% digital. Six
submarine fibre optic cable links are established with France, Italy, and Spain, and the
SEA-ME-WE2 link. Algeria is a member of ARABSAT, INTELSAT, and INMARSAT.
Teledensity:
- Total: 5.70 (2000)
- Largest cities: 5.51 (1999)
- Rest of the country: 4.21 (1999)
Digital main
lines: 92.0% (2000)
Waiting List for
a Telephone Line: 646,000 (2000)
- Average waiting time: 5.4 years
(2000)
- Total demand (k): 2,407.3 (2000)
- Satisfied demand: 73.2% (2000)
Telephone
Tariffs (2000):
- Connection charge in 2000:
residential - US$ 47, business – US$ 47
- Monthly subscription: residential
– US$ 2.7, business – US$ 2.7
- Cost of a local telephone call: US$
0.02/minute
Public
Telephones: 5,000 (2000)
Public Telephone
per 1,000 inhabitants: 0.16 (2000)
Mobile Cellular
Subscribers: 86,000 (2000)
Cellular
Subscribers as a % of Total Telephone Subscribers: 4.7 (2000)
Mobile Cellular
Tariffs (2000)
- Connection – US$ 265.7, monthly
subscription - US$ 17.3, 3 minute local call – US$ 0.13 (peak), US$ 0.10
(off-peak)
Telecommunications
Revenue (M US$): 305.6 (2000)
Telecommunications
Investment (M US$): 114.5 (2000)
Telecommunications
Investment as a % of Revenue: 39.4 (2000)
Telecom
Equipment Exports (M US$): na
Telecom
Equipment Imports (M US$): 148.7 (1999)
Community Access
Centres: Apart from the cyber-cafés, Algeria has not been active in the development
community access centres, nor has it been a major recipient country for the implementation
of telecentre programs initiated by donor agencies. The consequence of this fact is
evident in the low number of Internet users and the proportion of Internet use among the
population.
Facsimiles:
7,000 (1998)
CERIST
provides a variety of technical training, however, most of the training courses are not
intended for the general public. There is, however, a Post Graduate Specialization Program
in Information and Technical Sciences (PGS – IST). This program is open to anyone
with a university Bachelors degree (4-year program).
L’Université des sciences et de la technologie
d’Oran (USTO) offers a variety of training courses and degrees in
electrical engineering and computer engineering.
Rachidia
Formation is an ICT training institute, created by a group of engineers back in 1994. The
training provided are typically for office/business application solutions (MS Office, and
Internet navigation and searching), as well as database and application development
training (visual basic, C++, Java, etc.).
The
Internet Service Company provides training in business computing (from learning the basics
of computers to the use of commercial applications and the Internet. The cost of a course
in Internet training is 3,000 Algerian Dinars, while a course in business computer cost
6,500 Algerian Dinars.
