Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, October/November 1998, page 68

A Country Report on Tunisia

With Strong Governmental Encouragement, Tunisia Experiencing Exponential Increase in Internet Usage

By Delinda C. Hanley

The information highway is seen by Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali as one of the main roads that could lead Tunisia’s economy to greater efficiency and better prepare the country’s children to meet tomorrow’s challenges. President Ben Ali, a strong believer in the advantages offered by new information technologies, has announced plans to connect all of the country’s schools and public libraries to the Internet. He also wants Tunisia’s business community to pursue the benefits of electronic commerce aggressively.

The figures show a remarkable growth. In September 1996, Tunisia had 86 subscribers to the Internet. By the end of this year, there will be at least 10,000 subscribers. And by the following year, there will be more than 30,000 individual subscribers. But the most important increase is expected to happen at universities and research institutions, where connection to the Internet has already become routine.

Tunisia was among the few Arab and African countries to connect to the World Wide Web back in 1990. Back then, its use was mostly in the realm of university and research institutions.

Investments in telecommunications infrastructure and the widening use of computers in homes and the workplace rapidly increased the demand for Internet connectivity. In April 1996, an Internet agency was established (Agence Tunisienne de l’Internet—ATI) to manage Tunisia’s backbone connection to the network. Last year two private Internet service providers started offering Internet access to the private sector and individual users.

Connection to the Internet is offered through six Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Tunisia. One ISP manages connectivity to government and public institutions, and others service higher education establishments, primary and secondary schools, and medical and health institutions. Two private ISPs serve private companies and individual users.

In recognition of this growth, and the importance of the Internet in education and science, the Tunisian government announced last April further reductions in Internet access fees and special discounts offered through the telephone company for private users at home. Many ISPs offer family packages and free Internet initiation courses with every new account.

But the most important increases in Tunisian Internet use originate with educational institutions. In November 1997, President Ben Ali announced measures both to connect Tunisian schools and universities to the Internet and to use the technologies associated with the Internet to diversify educational methods, especially in remote learning.

Currently, more than 120 high schools are connected to the Internet, with plans to connect all of the schools by the end of 2001. These plans are coupled with gradual introduction of compulsory classes in computers and English-language education in high schools.

To further popularize the use of the Internet and facilitate access to those who cannot afford it, many government and private initiatives are being implemented. Last May, President Ben Ali inaugurated the first multimedia and Internet-connected public library and announced plans to connect many libraries to the Web by the end of next year. Moreover, many private initiatives have opened “Cyber caf’s,” and youth centers are studying plans to connect to the World Wide Web.

Access to the Internet is not only encouraged in education and for private users in Tunisia, but the highest priority is given to businesses, and especially to export companies. In July 1997, President Ben Ali urged Tunisian companies to use the Internet to showcase their products and to diversify their marketing methods in order to boost exports.

In the same month, the government announced reduced rates for services of the national data transmission network, a decision that will greatly facilitate the operations of companies in the financial and economic sectors. Several months earlier, the Ministry of Communications announced a reduction in the connection charge for Internet access. According to the ministry, this cost reduction, combined with awareness programs to increase knowledge of the Internet, will lead to a six-fold increase in Internet connections by the end of 1999.

Among countries of the region, Tunisia—a traditionally open country with one of the highest rates of education—is well-positioned to meet the challenges at hand. Its civilizational riches will most certainly constitute an invaluable asset in the expanding intercultural dialogue that the new means of communication are making possible.