Internet hooks Algerian audiences

2009-09-24

A new study of Algerian Web users reveals that millions rely on the internet for news, research and activities such as social networking.

By Mouna Sadek for Magharebia in Algiers – 24/09/09

[Abdelhak Senna/AFP/Getty Images] A new web survey finds a high number of Algerian "internauts".

A staggering 75% of Algerian internet users call access to the Web an "indispensable tool", a new national study claimed on Thursday (September 17th).

Of 6,000 computer users surveyed by Algerian firms Med&Com and Ideatic, more than 90% confessed to "not being able to get by without going online 'at least once a day'". Most users reported spending two hours on average in front of their monitors.

The study, which polled "internauts" on ADSL, mobile internet, online advertising and e-commerce, estimates that 4.5 million people (12.8% of the Algerian population) use the internet.

"Algerians are fitting themselves out with more and more computer equipment and getting connected to the internet," Algiers computer salesman Mohammed confirmed to Magharebia. "It's even become 'a family affair'."

"I often have to negotiate with my 15-year-old daughter to be able to work on my own computer," said Mehdi, 45, who said he spends about 1.5 hours per day on the internet.

"The internet is growing exponentially," he added. "You just have to look at the number of Algerians signing up on Facebook to be convinced of that fact."

The study, which started in 2008, shows a gender gap and regional disparities in internet use.

The typical Algerian Web user is described as male (72.2%), aged between 20 and 29 (29.2%), educated at least to the baccalaureate level + 1 (66.2%), and living in Algiers (29.28%). However, women represent just 25.8% of Algerian Web users.

The researchers reported that 82.6% of Web users "communicate" via electronic mail. Of this percentage, "42.5% use instant messaging (such as MSN or Yahoo Messenger), 33.8% visit discussion forums, 33% make telephone calls over the Internet (Skype), and 9.9% use video conferencing".

The online media are the Web users' favourites, with 80.8% reading online newspapers, 19.9% listening to the radio, and 11.4% watching TV programmes. The internet is also used for research (80.7%) and making business contacts (22.9%).

The study also shows that Algerian Web users are not very "active", with 82.2% visiting online video-sharing sites (YouTube, DailyMotion, Flickr), but only 23.5% contributing.

Social networks seem to have won over Algerian Web users; some 40% have pages on Facebook.

The study appears to provide evidence of the effectiveness of government efforts to promote internet use.

Making ADSL available to private individuals has resulted in 585,455 residential subscribers, according to the Post and ICT Ministry. Nearly 65% of those surveyed said they can log on from home, compared with 24.6% who log on at work. Over 61% of Web users say there are at least three people using the internet in a single home. Youth clubs and libraries with internet access, which used to be crammed, are hosting fewer users.

Various obstacles remain, however. Some 72.1% of Web users say they are "dissatisfied" with the speed of their connection at home, and 79.7% complain about frequent service outages. The subscription rates remain "affordable" for 53.8% of Web users, but 43.8% of them think subscription rates are expensive or very expensive.

It also appears that the communications ministry's Ousratic project, which aims to roll out new information technology, has not yet achieved its intended results. Only 5.4% of Web users surveyed reported benefitting from it.

Some users also see reason for caution in the rapid expansion of internet use.

"The youngest in society, and their parents, need to be educated through awareness campaigns about the dangers of the internet," said Mehdi.