The Internet in Tunisia
Universal access to the Internet is a strategic objective in Tunisia. This is best illustrated by the growing number of Internet users (at least one million in July 2005) as well as in the large number of Internet Service Providers (12 ISPs, five of which are privately owned), and of public Internet service centers (310 centers at the end of 2004).
Tunisia currently ranks among the best connected Arab and African countries. All secondary and higher education institutions are connected to the web. By 2006, all primary schools will also be connected. A program for the generalization and promotion of the Internet is being implemented. "Internet buses" reach the most remote areas of the country. In addition, the State has promoted the training of skills in the ICTs sector. It has also established a vast program offering families the possibility of purchasing computers at low prices, in addition to successive reductions in the connection and online communication rates. Technopoles and cyberparks have been established in all the regions of the country, and research/development in the ICTs sector is particularly expanding.
Various public incentives encourage initiatives for the creation of websites.
President Ben Ali's Electoral Program for the 2004-2009 period provides for new measures to facilitate universal access to the Internet (ensuring connections in all the country's regions, increasing the current capacity of connection to the International Internet network fivefold during the next five years, gradually generalizing the broadband capacity through ADSL connections for subscribers to the Internet, ensuring the access of 50% of citizens to ordinary Internet capacity, and establishing Internet service centers in each village by the end of 2009).
