COUNTRY FOCUS : ALGERIA
accounts to perform transactions while proceeds from any goods or services sold via domestic e-commerce websites need to be paid to an Algerian bank account .
In addition to online transactions , the new regulation pushes for the widespread adoption of electronic payments . The law makes it obligatory for shop owners to have electronic payment terminals , EPTs by the end of 2018 , or face financial penalties . The EPTs will allow customers to pay with their debit or credit cards .
Algerian banks now have an operating domestic interoperability system facilitating electronic transactions , and are working towards obtaining certifications from Visa and Mastercard to be able to offer international transactions . However , they find themselves competing with AT , whose operating system is independent . In mid-2018 SATIM had over 16,000 EPTs in circulation . The main challenge to the widespread use of electronic payments remains the interoperability between the SATIM and Algérie Poste systems .
Network connectivity
The new connections add to two pre-existing international cables , increasing Algeria ’ s Internet bandwidth 10-fold to 6.4 TB . This increase will improve connectivity as little domestic content is available or stored in data centres .
Cybersecurity
With numerous businesses working to ramp up their digital presence , cybersecurity is increasingly seen as a topic of interest . At an institutional level , the government recognises the potential dangers that are inherent to new technologies and vows to develop legal and technical tools against cybercrimes .
Since the adoption of the first legal text outlining cybercrimes in 2009 , the government created a national organisation for prevention , leading the fight against ICT-related infractions in 2015 . The latter , placed under the Ministry of Justice , centralises online information and coordinates the actions of the different institutions involved in their collective fight against the reach of cybercrimes .
According to published reports by Oxford Business Group , in the July 2018 UN E-Government Survey 2018 Algeria moved up 20 positions to 130th compared to 2016 in the e-government development index measuring online service , telecommunications infrastructure and human capital for the 193 UN member states . This gain was driven by an increase in the density of services pillar by 10 spots and the telecommunications infrastructure development pillar by 30 positions . Research for the latter pillar identified that 43 % of Algerians use the Internet , while there were 65.7 active mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 people .
According to the Ministry of Post , Telecommunications and Digital Technologies , Algeria had 123,000 km of fibre optics installed in 2017 , making it the largest network in Africa , with an additional 7000 km planned to connect the southern wilayas . Algeria has taken into consideration the intra-city metro fibre connections , with traditionally only long inter-city or intercontinental connections considered .
The MPTDT has the overarching aim to improve bandwidth capacity , as well as navigate the challenges surrounding the introduction of two fibre-optic cables expected to connect Algeria to international connection points . The submarine fibre-optic cable Medex , connecting the eastern city of Annaba to the US west coast will have a capacity of 4.4 TB . In addition to Medex , the cable Orval will connect the west Mediterranean city of Oran to Valencia , on the east coast of Spain .
In July 2017 , the International Telecommunication Union placed Algeria 67th out of 193 countries in its updated Global Cybersecurity Index 2017 . The country owes its score to the legal framework that has been put in place . The sub-indexes of the survey show that there still remains a lot to be achieved regarding both human skills development and the creation of technical institutions for cybersecurity .
In 2018 the topic was brought back into the public debate arena with the preparation of a legal framework and the establishment of a new institution for the protection of personal data . This newly established body , comprised of representatives of different institutions , is placed under the authority of the president . The upcoming legal text will cover a broad set of measures , such as the protection of citizens against the commercial abuse of their online data and the creation of recourse mechanisms against online fraud , as well as copyright infringements .
While telecoms still dominate the ICT sector , signs of diversification , digitisation and cybersecurity efforts are combining for a positive outlook . In a large market that is located between developed and developing countries , with many opportunities for growth for new players , increased competition and an educated workforce , policies taken by the government can turn the country into a regional leader .
Excerpted from these sources : The International Trade Administration , US Department of Commerce ; Oxford Business Group . p
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