ICT Policy
As a result of
the AISI process of developing National Information and Communication Infrastructure
(NICI) policies and plans, Mauritania has established a Ministry responsible for the
development and promotion of ICTs in the country according to Décret No. 100-2000 / PM.
Telecommunications
Structure and Policy
The Office des Postes et
Telecommunications (OPT) is the sole
telecommunications operator in Mauritania enjoying a monopoly on postal and
telecommunication service by legislation (Law no. 93-39 of 20 July 1993). Following a vast
economic rehabilitation programme which took place in the country since 1987, the status
of OPT changed on April 1997 from a public industrial and commercial establishment to a
national company.
Mauritania has a very
under-developed telephone network of about 14,700 lines. Efforts are being made by the
national telecom, OPT, to cater the growing demand for telephone lines through various
programmes:
- Given the size of its territory
and the need to improve service to the 11 provincial capitals, satellite emerged as an
ideal solution for the country. Under a financial assistance programme with the Arab Fund
for Economic and Social Development, 16 million dollars were allocated for the
implementation of the Domsat project (50% for telecommunications, and 50% for radio and
television). Under the project, all the 11 provincial capitals were equipped with
satellite transmitting/receiving stations, supplemented with domestic exchanges.
- Extensions of the capacities of
the Nouakchott and Nouadhibou exchanges to 33,000 and 15,000 subscribers respectively are
underway.
- Wireless system to serve the rural
areas are under study.
- The national telecom, OPT, is
participating in the Africa One submarine cable programme. Agreement has been reached in
principle by the signatory countries, however, financing problems might delay the
implementation of the project.
Currently, Mauritania's
transmission infrastructure comprises:
- an Intelsat station at Nouakchott
handling international links;
- an Arabsat station at Nouakchott
handling international links mainly to Arab countries, and national links;
- an Arabsat station at Nouadhibou
handling national links; and
- Twelve Domsat earth stations
installed in the provincial capitals and at Nouadhibou.
Mobile Cellular Network:
the development of a GSM cellular network in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou by the year 2000 is
one of the OPT's major projects. The economic feasibility study and technical
specifications have been completed, and financing is being sought.
In march 1998, the Government of
Mauritania has adopted a reform programme which will enable the restructuring of the posts
and telecommunications sectors. The programme has the following major objectives:
- Increasing the contributions of
the posts and telecommunications sectors to the economic, social and cultural development
of the country;
- Establishing a legal and
regulatory framework for the mobilisation of private investments in the telecommunications
sector;
- Catering the growing demand for
services and improving the quality of the services rendering to the customers;
- Improving the access to
telecommunications services in the rural areas.
The reform programme contains the
following action plans:
- establishing an independent
telecommunications regulatory authority responsible for the regulation of the
telecommunications sector, and the provision of licences to telecommunications operators,
including cellular network operators;
- separating the postal and
telecommunication services, and establishing an autonomous telecommunications entity
capable of engaging itself in a competitive environment;
- liberalising the
telecommunications sector by opening the operations of the sector to strategic partners;
- preparing a strategy focusing on
the improvement of access to telecommunications services in rural areas; and
- organising an awareness compaign
to sell and introduce the reform programme to potential investors and the private
sector.
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ICT
Networking Development
The Faculté
des Sciences et Techniques of the University of Nouakchott is the leading networking institution in Mauritania. Formerly known
as Institut Supérieur Scientifique (ISS) before it integrated into the University, the
faculty is the Internet Service Provider for the academic and research sector, and it is
also the Top Level Domain (TLD) administrator for ".mr". The faculty has a
Département de
Mathématiques et Informatique (DMI) with a Master degree in "Méthodes
Informatiques Appliquées à la Gestion des Entreprises (MIAGE)", mainly on
information processing and management.
In July 1998, the African Virtual University
project was launched at the Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FST) of
the University of Nouakchott through the transmission of a series of seminars on various
topics, including information technology and the year 2000. Training courses were also
organised for teachers, students and staff of the University, and for employees from NGOs
and civil societies.
The Faculty has
recently launched a project entitled "Projet accès à l'Information
Scientifique et Technique et sa diffusion en Mauritanie (PIST)". The
project will be using information and communication technologies to compile and
disseminate scientific and technical information on Mauritania.
An ICT group mainly
composed of members of the Département de Mathématiques et Informatique (DMI) has
been formed to advise and assist the University in the introduction and development of
information and communication technologies.
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ICT Partners and
Projects
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