UNCTAD ICT Policy Review of Egypt
Anne Miroux
Director
Division on Technology and Logistics
UNCTAD
Palais des Nations
Geneva, 26 October 2011
1
Background to the Review
• First UNCTAD ICT Policy Review
• Five priority areas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Infrastructure development ‐ emphasis on broadband Skills development for the ICT sector
ICT use in the education system
E‐content development
The promotion of an export‐oriented ICT sector
• Methodology: Field missions, desk research, on‐line survey, interviews, international best practice
• Time frame: 2009‐2010 (before the Revolution)
2
Infrastructure development
Main achievements
• Deregulation of the telecommunication sector
• Rapid expansion of mobile and Internet uptake
• Broadband development in main cities and business parks
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
+374%
2005
2010
+128%
+858%
Mobile cellular
Total fixed broadband Total Internet users
telephone
subscribers per 100 per 100 inhabitants
subscriptions per 100
inhabitants
inhabitants
Source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT indicators database, 2010
3
Skills development for the ICT sector
Main achievements
• Egypt among top ten emerging economies for its ICT skills thanks to government initiatives
• Graduates from Egyptian universities expected to meet market demand in the coming years – From 27,000 (2006) to 40,000 (2010) graduates with formal ICT training
• Information Technology Institute (ITI) and National Telecom Institute (NTI): 38,350 graduated from ICT training (2010)
• Software Engineering Competence Center (SECC): trained
11,000 people from >500 companies • Partnerships between national and foreign IT companies
4
ICT use in the education system
Main achievements
• Egyptian Education Initiatives (EEI): – 35,000 teachers received International Computer Driving License (ICDL) training
– another 150,000 qualified to take the ICDL test • 2,000 Smart schools
• >2,100 IT Clubs
• Partnerships with multinationals
– e.g. 350 CISCO e‐learning centres for development of e‐content
5
ICT use in the education system
• Biggest challenge: Scaling up
60000
52000
50000
40000
> 96% not yet
covered.
30000
20000
10000
2000
0
Total number of schools
Source: UNCTAD ICT Policy Review of Egypt, 2011
6
Number of Smart schools
E‐content development
Main achievements
•
Considerable progress in several areas
–
–
–
–
–
–
•
•
7
The Arabic e‐Content for Books and Software Initiative
Mobile content development
Cultural and educational content development
E‐government content
Content for the general public and Use of Arabic domain names
Creation of Arabic language Web domains
Large growth opportunity
Promoting an export‐oriented ICT sector
Main achievements (1)
AT Kearney’s Global Services Location Index 2011
From 12th in 2007 to 4th place in 2011
India
China
Malaysia
Egypt
Indo nesia
Mexico
Th ailand
Viet Nam
es
Philip pin
Chile
UAE (15)
2)
Jo rda n (2
3)
Tu nisia (2
(37)
Morocco
0
8
1
Source: A.T. Kearney 2011
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Promoting an export‐oriented ICT sector
Main achievements (2)
• Supportive business environment for FDI • Development of Competitive Technology
Parks
• Skilled workforce
• Job creation: – >15,000 export‐oriented direct jobs
– >45,000 indirect jobs supported by ITO/BPO
• ICT‐enabled services exports: >USD 1 billion
9
Summary and main recommendations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
10
Make policies more demand‐driven
Make ICT policies more inclusive
Strengthen partnerships with private sector
Move towards higher value‐added services
Leverage foreign skills and expertise
Strengthen coordination among government entities
Make use of the latest technology
Set quantifiable targets and monitor progress
Adopt long‐term Vision – beyond 2014
Thank you!
11