Internet in Algeria
Internet use in Algeria increased from 150,000 users in 2006 to approximately 18,583,000 in 2015, with a penetration rate of 46% of the population,
Internet penetration and ISPs
Over the past decade, the number of Internet users in Algeria has greatly increased, from 150,000 users in 2006 to approximately 18,583,000 in 2015, with a penetration rate of 46% of the population,[1][2] due to the increase of internet speeds and lowering of tariffs, as well as the introduction of new telecommunication technologies such as 3G and 4G LTE.[4]
To improve the
Algeria’s main operator of Internet services and fixed and mobile telephone services is Algérie Télécom. The company has been slated for privatization, but the process has been repeatedly delayed. The firm’s chief executive said in 2008 that the company will be ready for privatization by 2011.
Algérie Télécom launched an LTE network in 2014, making Algeria the first country in North Africa to have such a network.[6]
In 2015, Algérie Télécom launched the WICI service in multiple Algerian cities, which grants the public access to outdoor Wi-Fi.[7]
Legal and regulatory frameworks
Government regulations permit controls on Internet access and monitoring of content. In July 2006, Algerian President
Algerian authorities continue to ignore journalists' repeated calls for revision of the press law to eliminate prison sentences for offenses from the press. Blogger Abd el Salam Baroudy, administrator of the Bilad Telmesan blog, was charged with criminal defamation for criticizing a government official on his blog in June 2007.
In May 2008 the government introduced a new cyber-crime bill amid reports that government websites receive about 4,000 hacking attempts per month and that websites of financial institutions are also targeted by hackers. The bill criminalized online activities such as
In 2005 the Algerian government began allowing ISPs to use
Surveillance and filtering
Article 14 of ministerial decree no 98-257 of August 25, 199824[
Algerian security forces started raiding Internet cafés and checking the browsing history of Internet users after terrorist attacks hit the country in April 2007. In April 2008, the security forces increased their monitoring and surveillance efforts in these cafés to stop their use for terrorist activities. In addition, Internet cafés are now required to collect names and ID numbers of their customers and report this information together with any suspicious activities to the police.
In March 2008, the Algerian government ordered domestic mobile phone companies to stop selling anonymous mobile phones and SIM cards. This call was prompted by concerns that mobile phones were used in terrorist attacks in the country.
OpenNet Initiative testing found no evidence that the government filters Internet sites. However, the Algerian security forces blocked access to the website of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in October 2007 after there were reports that the organization used the website to recruit minors and to publish its press releases and videos related to terror attacks in Algeria.
The government’s primary forms of control appear to be the access controls and content monitoring regulations already noted.
See also
- Terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Algeria
- Media of Algeria
References
- ^ a b ARTP (11 April 2016). "Rapport ARPT 2015 : 43 millions abonnés mobile et 18,5 millions abonnés internet". Dernières Infos d'Algérie.
- ^ a b "Rapport Annuel d'Activité ARPT (2015)" (PDF). Autorité de Régulation de la Poste et des Télécommunications. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-22. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ^ a b "Algérie:Déploiement de plus de 500 km de fibre optique en 2016 à Batna". Maghreb Emergent.
- ^ "Attribution provisoire des licences 4G à Mobilis, Djezzy et Ooredoo". Algérie Presse Service.
- ^ "La nouvelle technologie MSAN enfin disponible". Liberté.
- ^ Hibberd, Mike (6 May 2014). "Algérie Télécom launches VoLTE-capable LTE network". Telecoms.com.
- ^ "Algérie Télécom lance " WICI Outdoor "". La Dépêche de Kabylie.
- OpenNet Initiative profile of Algeria, August 6, 2009, published under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
External links
- Algérie Télécom (in French)