Internet Society Report Analyzes Internet Connectivity Challenges and Opportunities in the Middle East

3255fd5134a0b591f185eda21440ea20 1 Internet Society Report Highlights Challenges and Recommendations for Internet Connectivity in the Middle East

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2024 — The Internet Society (ISOC), a global charitable organization advocating for an open, globally connected, and secure Internet, released on the state of Internet connectivity across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

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The report highlights Internet connectivity as a key driver of economic growth and social development, underscoring that an increase in fixed broadband access significantly contributes to progress.

Key Findings:

  1. Growth in Mobile and Fixed Broadband: Both mobile and fixed broadband connections have experienced substantial growth from 2015 to 2021, particularly in Gulf States with advanced fiber-optic and 5G networks. However, deployment has been slower in other parts of the region, primarily due to infrastructure challenges and affordability issues.
    1. Mobile Internet users increased from 130M to over 180M between 2016 and 2021, with Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco demonstrating the highest growth rates. Fixed broadband users rose from 17M to 29M in the same period, with Egypt leading the way. The Arab region lags behind other regions in fiber optic deployment, with a stagnation in investment since 2018.
    2. High-Income Countries: Significant progress in broadband infrastructure has been observed, especially in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries due to the rollout of 5G. These high-income countries have improved their Internet availability from 77.34 to 79.37, surpassing global averages.
    3. Low-Middle-Income Countries: Broadband has improved modestly, but challenges persist. Despite overall progress, a significant digital divide persists between high-income and low-middle-income countries, partially attributed to political and economic instability in certain regions, such as Tunisia and Syria.
  2. Infrastructure Challenges: There is a heavy reliance on European Internet Exchange Points for international Internet traffic, which leads to slower speeds due to additional data hops.
  3. Emerging Technologies: The report highlights the role of emerging technologies such as High-Throughput Satellites (HTS) and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites in bridging the connectivity gap. These technologies are crucial for expanding access to underserved rural areas.
  4. Impact of COVID-19: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted network performance and digital transformation plans, resulting in delays and disruptions in connectivity improvements.

Recommendations:

Policy and Regulation: The Internet Society advocates for revising regulatory frameworks to accelerate infrastructure deployment. Key recommendations include strengthening spectrum policies, removing regulatory barriers, and fostering public-private partnerships to drive investment, competition, and support for small and medium enterprises.

    • Spectrum Availability: North African countries have limited spectrum compared to global averages, impacting network capacity and costs.
    • Regulatory Frameworks: Enhance regulatory frameworks to foster investment, encourage spectrum and infrastructure sharing, and support new technologies like HTS and LEO satellites.

Collaboration and Investment: Promote public-private partnerships and update national broadband plans to improve infrastructure and connectivity.

Digital Skills and Literacy: Addressing digital skills and literacy is essential for maximizing the benefits of Internet connectivity. The report calls for more affordable, relevant, and inclusive education and training programs to build a digital workforce.

Local Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): The report emphasizes the importance of establishing and upgrading IXPs to enhance local Internet traffic, reduce costs, and improve service quality. Governments are encouraged to support IXPs by providing resources and facilitating network interconnections.

“The Internet has become essential for many people, and its role in connecting individuals, fostering economic opportunities, and driving innovation is undeniable. The Arab region has made significant strides in the availability and adoption of the Internet in recent years; however, adoption rates remain low. We hope that governments will leverage our report to learn about the improvements that can be made in infrastructure deployment, affordability of service, market structure, and regulatory frameworks,” explains Nermine El Saadany, Regional Vice President for the Middle East for the Internet Society.

About the Internet Society
Founded by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society (ISOC) is a global charitable organization dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet. Through a global community of chapters and members, the Internet Society collaborates with a wide range of groups to promote the technologies that keep the Internet safe and secure and advocates for policies that enable universal access. The Internet Society is also the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

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