ICT infrastructure in the Arab region A prototype system for information society indicators

1
ICT infrastructure in the Arab region A
prototype system for information society
indicators
Pan-Arab Regional Conference on WSIS Cairo,
16-18 June 2003

• UN-ESCWA
• www.escwa.org.lb
• Presented by
• Abdulilah Dewachi, Regional Advisor
• Juliana Daher, ICTD

2
Content

• ESCWAs studies on infrastructure
• Current situation
• Goal
• Steps carried out
• System design considerations and capabilities
• Data collection and dissemination
• Charting examples
• Needed actions at regional level
• Summary

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Generic Issues related to ICT infrastructure

• Importance of Infrastructure
• Digital Divide
• Universal Service
• Telecom World today and tomorrow

4
Review of Infrastructure Status in the Arab
countries

• Reform
• Fixed Mobile Teledensity
• Growth Rates
• Network Status
• Affordability
• Internet, PC ISDN Penetration
• Investment Finance

5
LAS, ESCWA, GCC, East Arab with reference to
the World
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Current data on ICT indicators

• Scanty data on ICT in most Arab countries
• Too many sources to quote from
• Inaccurate data
• Displayed in simple tabular or graphical forms
  with little or no analysis
• Do not serve planners and decision makers

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Goal

• Create an engine for handling ICT related
  indicators
• Accessible and supported by all stakeholders
• Comprehensive and up-to-date
• To be a main source for reference about ICT in
  the region
• Easy to update, modify and enhance
• Allowing comparative analysis for analysts,
  planners and decision makers
• Upholding the continuous process of new emerging
  indicators in the information society
• Web enabled.

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Necessary steps

• Define a dynamic list of ICT indicators grouped
  into categories
• Precise definitions and calculation methods for
  indicators
• Recommend data collection frequency for each
  indicator
• Suggest national and international data sources
• Software development
• Data collection

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Software design
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The software modules
                       
DATA COLLECTION AND COMPUTATION MODULE
DATA EDITING, VERIFICATION AND TABULATION MODULE
Input
  CHARTING MODULE
INDICATORS SELECTION AND DISPLAY MODULE
Output
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Categories and Indicators
1-Basic background
3-Media Infrastructure
5-ICT expenditures
7-ICT government and business environment
9-ICT policy
11-WIPO treaties
12-Indices
2-Telecom Infrastructure
4-Computers And the Internet
6-Capacity building
8-Laws and regulations
10-Connectivity status
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The general options
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Data points
Years
Y3
D3(C3,I3,Y2)
Y2
Y1
C1
C3
C2
D2(C1,I2,Y3)
Countries
I1
D1(C2,I1,Y2)
I2
I3
Indicators
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Main entities
Categories
Series
Countries/Groups
Metadata
Years
Indicators
Data
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Software capabilities

• Update dimensions (categories and items,
  countries/groups, years)
• Define new derived indicators
• Data collection (data entry screens, automatic
  calculation for derived)
• Meta data maintenance
• Display tables and charts

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Future capabilities

• Forecasting and prediction capabilities
• Extend to cover other Arab, and perhaps, selected
  countries of interest to the region

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Data collection

• Ad-hoc
• Outsourced to a data collection company within
  the region (or outside)
• Frequency of every indicator
• Data sources
• Degree of national official support to the
  collected data

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Data dissemination

• Over the net
• Regular publication on CDROM and hardcopy
• Networking with member countries for more
  detailed reporting and analysis
• Networking with international organizations
  through exchange programmes
• Data source for researchers

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Charting examples
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Chart 1 Jordan, GCC, ESCWA, East Arabwith
reference to the World
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Chart 2Egypt through a period of
time(2000,2001,2002) with reference to 2000
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Chart 3ICT Social indexes for selected Arab
countries with reference to Egypt (radar)
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Chart 4ICT Social indexes for selected Arab
countries with reference to Egypt (column)
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Chart 5Iraq in 2008 with reference to ESCWA
region in 2001
(Forecast Iraqi ICT Performance in 2008 - Madar
Research Group)
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Actions needed at regional level

• Define groups and elements of indicators
• Define modalities of data collection and data
  dissemination
• Identify national sources for the data required
• Ministries of Telecommunications and Information
  Technologies
• Telecommunication Regulating Commissions
• Central Statistical Offices
• Etc.
• Commitment from stakeholders to the regular
  supply of data

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Summary

• Importance of monitoring and comparing ICT
  development through accurate and timely
  indicators
• Not just indicators to reflect the
  infrastructure, but the whole knowledge-based
  sector
• Analysis and decision making rather than simple
  tabulation
• Coverage for all Arab countries
• Commitment of all stakeholders to data collection
• Availability for all