Significant improvement of indicators of post and telecoms sector’s
Promoting the quality of post and telecoms services, bringing them closer to citizens while improving the regular welcome and listening conditions and their efficient management, constitute the major objectives of the post and telecoms sector which it strives to achieve through its road map in line with the government’s action plan pursuant to the commitments of the President of the Republic.
The approach adopted for attaining these objectives lies on two components : the implementation of the modern telecoms infrastructure and the development of a proximity postal network through structures spread nationwide likely to meet the inhabitants’ needs equally, mainly in remote areas with low population density.
As an assessment of the achievements and accomplishments realized, we hereby put forward some indicators related to the progress of post and telecoms realms in our country between 2020 and the first semester of 2024.
A postal infrastructure near citizens offering added value services
First of all, as regards the postal component and considering the vital role of this public infraustructre which provides significant financial and postal services to citizens, the accomplishments achieved were mainly focused on extending and modernizing the postal network as well as its fixed and mobile facilities.
Indeed, the total number of post offices has climbed from 3999 offices early 2020, to 4305 offices at the end of the first semster of 2024. The postal network has also been strengthened by mobile offices in all provinces nationwide, to bring postsal and financial services closer to citizens, notably in remote areas. As such, their number increased from 39 offices in 2020 to 89 offices at present.
Besides, the number of ATMs (automatic teller machines) has also recorded a sharp increase with 42%, climbing from 1407 ATMs in 2020 to 1995 ATMs. Moreover, it is planned to reinforce it further with 1000 new ATMs during the year.
In the meantime, the other provinces have benefited from many multi-service spaces with a total number of 62 spaces.
A modern telecoms infrastructure as a catalyst for digital transformation and a driving force for promoting citizens’ integration within the information society:
As regards telecommunications, the utmost goal from the programmes and projects undertaken by the post and telecoms sector and being followed closely, jointly with its partners, lies in fostering the digital transformation of the administration and national economy through the widespread use of the ICTs, modernization and development of infrastructure in a bid to improve the access and fixed and mobile internet speed.
In terms of fixed internet, the sector is seeking to take up two challenges : mainly the increase of subscribers’ number and the constant improvement of internet broadband at reasonable prices.
The consolidation of stakeholders’ capacities has been based on achieving the access network efficiency by modernizing the old network with the fiber optics, mainly the FTTH.
The recorded data showcase encouraging results during the period from 2020 to June 2024. In fact, the number of households connected to fixed internet has risen from 3.5 millions in 2020 to 5.7 millions, knowing that the goal set was to attain two thirds of households (i.e. 6 million households) by the end of 2024.
Alongside this, the number of households connected with FTTH has experienced a boom by climbing to 1.3 million in June 2024 while it was 53 000 households in early 2020.
Such quantitative data are backed up with the improved quality of internet speed. Indeed, its minimal threshold has grown 5 times more, from 2 to 10 Mbps. The investments accomplished have enabled to provide higher internet speed to subscribers up to 1Gbps with lower prices, aiming at encouraging users to go for it.
These improvements could be made true thanks to the sharp increase of the capacities of our country’s international broadband, which has grown six (6) times more. Thus, the equipped capacity of the international telecommunications network has currently recorded 9.8 Tbps while it was 1.5 Tbps in 2020.
Concerning mobile internet, the network extension to offer an optimal coverage for citizens by keeping the quality higher has been the main axis for the postal and telecoms sector particularly by the follow up of 4G technology deployment project. The latter is going on at a growing rate nationwide, as such, the coverage rate of the 4G technology has exceeded 85% of the population.
Furthermore, the efforts which the sector has made to regulate frequencies spectrum by providing additional frequency bands for operators beside the achieved projects, have led to positive progress indicators.
Consequently, the total number of mobile internet subscribers has reached 48 million compared to 37 million in early 2020.
These accomplishments enabled to double the average volume of the daily consumed data by mobile internet users, growing currently from 3.7 Gbps in 2020 to 10Gbps.
A particular attention has been given to meet the needs of inhabitants in remote areas with low population density, through the program of 1400 zones with a density lower than 2000 inhabitants, recently launched as part of the Universal Electronic Communications Service, through which the State dedicates the principle of public service for all citizens on equal terms.
The post and telecoms infrastructure as a vector for e-payment development and financial inclusion boost
Through its efforts, our sector is committed to generalize e-payment and foster financial inclusion initiated by the government, as a way of optimizing the important structuring infrastructures that have been delivered and commissioned in the postal and telecommunications sectors, and as a fruit of the widespread use of the ICTs in the economic and financial spheres in particular.
To that end, the sector’s operators such as Algérie Poste, provide citizens with multiple e-payment methods in line with international safety and reliability standards, to conduct several financial transactions on the postal network in interoperability with the bank network. These methods have been lately consolidated by launching the mobile switch to allow banks’ and Algérie Poste’s clients to carry out payment and money transfer transactions instantly via QR-Code.
Many cooperation and partnership agreements have been signed with different sectors in a bid to foster the widespread use of e-payment methods.
This achievement was made thanks to the production and distribution dynamic of « Edahabia » cards, which number climbed from 6 million cards in 2020 to 13.4 million cards in the first half of 2024.
To optimize financial services smoothly, rapidly and reliably, Algérie Poste has developped two applications for postal current accounts’ holders , i.e. « BaridiMob » and « ECCP ».
These applications enable to benefit from the multiple services like top-up the mobile phone, paying fixed phone bills as well as internet subscriptions and paying water bills « SEAAL » and « Algérienne des Eaux », paying Zakat, checking the account and transferring money from an account to another, inter alia.
These offers have led to grow significantly the number of e-payment transactions via « Edahabia » card from 5 million transactions in 2020 to over 55 million transactions in 2023, while expecting it to register 80 million in 2024.
Ongoing awareness rising action against cyber risks and fostering the culture of safe and useful use of ICTs :
Despite its attractiveness, its rich knowledge and data as well as its commercial services and communication ability, the cyberspace has many risks and hazards likely to geopardize the psycological and even physical security of individuals and children as well.
Aware of all this, and as a contribution to the efforts for reducing and preventing serious cyber risks, the post and telecommunications sector gives a key position, in its strategy, to the preventive dimension while using the ICTs, in order to enable citizens to take advantage of them in a safe way while considering the resulting risks.
In this context, awareness actions and campaigns have been launched periodically about all the aspects which interest the citizen, such as safe internet, child online protection, e-commerce, e-payment and social networks.
In fact, to celebrate the world safer internet day for 2024, many awareness rising actions have been organized about the risks related to the misuse of internet by children and the preventive methods, which was preceded by the issue of a relevant guide in July 2020 aimed for parents and tutors.
In March 2024, another awareness and information campaign has been launched on e-payment and e-commerce throughout the country, in coordination with all the stakeholders like the National Civil Society Observatory, the High National Youth Council, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of Trade and Export Promotion, the National Gendarmerie Command, the Interbank Transactions and Electronic Payment Automation Company (SATIM), the GIE Monétique, Algérie Poste, Algérie Télécom and mobile phone operators.
These campaigns aimed to urge tradesmen and citizens to adhere to the action of generalization of e-payment use and initiate them to the concepts and rules connected to e-commerce, while encouraging them to use them within their legal frameworks, by providing orientations and advice likely to raise citizens’ watch about the hazards of online shopping to avoid fraud and swindling.
Besides, in May 2024, an awareness campaign about the risks of social media use has been launched throughout the country, jointly with the Ministry of National Defence, in coordination and cooperation with the National Civil Society Observatory, the High National Youth Council, the High Commission for Digitalization, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Culture and the Arts, the Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Vocational Education and Training, alongside the National Gendarmerie Command and the General Directorate of National Security.
This campaign aimed to provide social media users with preventive recommendations and good practices to reduce the risks of cyber space, mainly scam, in addition to contribute to prevent it from harming individuals’ composition, the society’s heritage and values as well as family and community cohesion.