Post Organization (ENPO), and the Computer and Software Department at the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce. The agreement is the second phase of a 2002
initiative and is part of the MCIT’s strategy of spreading the practice and utilization
of IT tools and the Internet to all social segments in Egypt, focusing on remote areas
and limited-income families. The initiative will include offering integrated packages of
personal computers and 512 Kbps ADSL subscriptions for three years for monthly
installments. 8
Furthermore, telecommunications companies continue to enable users to access
Internet content. For example, Egypt’s telecommunications giant Vodafone, which
has 15 million subscribers, announced in August 2008 its intention to buy a majority
stake in content provider Sarmady Communications (Sarcom) in an attempt to boost
its Internet service by providing content to its customers, which is also part of a strategy to dominate the Internet market. 9
Egypt’s monopoly fixed-line telephone company, Telecom Egypt, owns a 45 percent
stake in Vodafone Egypt and had 11.3 million fixed-line subscribers at the end of June
2008. Other Egyptian mobile operators pay Telecom Egypt for use of its network for
mobile to fixed-line calls and for international calls. Egypt’s plans to sell a second
fixed-line license in September 2008 would end Telecom Egypt’s monopoly. 10
Almost a million Egyptian households have access to broadband, thanks to sharing
of ADSL lines. In fact, 63.4 percent of Egyptian households share connections with
their neighbors. In 81.9 percent of households that share lines, the connection is
shared with more than three other households. Egypt had 427,085 ADSL lines by the
end of 2007. It is estimated that 75 percent of those are residential ADSL lines. Among
Egyptian Internet users, 81.2 percent state a preference for browsing Arabic-language
Web sites. Internet cafe ´s remain an important source of connectivity for Egyptians,
with 27.8 percent of Internet users reporting they use Internet cafe ´ services. 11
The number of blogs in Egypt has risen from just 40 in 2004 to an estimated 160,000
in July 2008, according to a report released by the Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and
Decision Support Center (IDSC). Of these Egyptian bloggers, 76.8 percent write in
Arabic, 20.8 percent in mixed Arabic and English, and 9.6 percent solely in English.
Egyptian blogs account for more than 30 percent of all Arabic blogs. Most of the bloggers are young men in their 20s, 27 percent are female, and over half of all bloggers are
between the ages of 20 and 30. 12
Legal and Regulatory Frameworks
The government continues to stifle freedom of the press and restricts the flow of information. For example, it proposed a draft bill on audiovisual media that critics say
is aimed at cracking down on dissent and opposition voices on television and the
Internet across the region. 13 The bill requires journalists and broadcasters to avoid
Egypt
539
initiative and is part of the MCIT’s strategy of spreading the practice and utilization
of IT tools and the Internet to all social segments in Egypt, focusing on remote areas
and limited-income families. The initiative will include offering integrated packages of
personal computers and 512 Kbps ADSL subscriptions for three years for monthly
installments. 8
Furthermore, telecommunications companies continue to enable users to access
Internet content. For example, Egypt’s telecommunications giant Vodafone, which
has 15 million subscribers, announced in August 2008 its intention to buy a majority
stake in content provider Sarmady Communications (Sarcom) in an attempt to boost
its Internet service by providing content to its customers, which is also part of a strategy to dominate the Internet market. 9
Egypt’s monopoly fixed-line telephone company, Telecom Egypt, owns a 45 percent
stake in Vodafone Egypt and had 11.3 million fixed-line subscribers at the end of June
2008. Other Egyptian mobile operators pay Telecom Egypt for use of its network for
mobile to fixed-line calls and for international calls. Egypt’s plans to sell a second
fixed-line license in September 2008 would end Telecom Egypt’s monopoly. 10
Almost a million Egyptian households have access to broadband, thanks to sharing
of ADSL lines. In fact, 63.4 percent of Egyptian households share connections with
their neighbors. In 81.9 percent of households that share lines, the connection is
shared with more than three other households. Egypt had 427,085 ADSL lines by the
end of 2007. It is estimated that 75 percent of those are residential ADSL lines. Among
Egyptian Internet users, 81.2 percent state a preference for browsing Arabic-language
Web sites. Internet cafe ´s remain an important source of connectivity for Egyptians,
with 27.8 percent of Internet users reporting they use Internet cafe ´ services. 11
The number of blogs in Egypt has risen from just 40 in 2004 to an estimated 160,000
in July 2008, according to a report released by the Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and
Decision Support Center (IDSC). Of these Egyptian bloggers, 76.8 percent write in
Arabic, 20.8 percent in mixed Arabic and English, and 9.6 percent solely in English.
Egyptian blogs account for more than 30 percent of all Arabic blogs. Most of the bloggers are young men in their 20s, 27 percent are female, and over half of all bloggers are
between the ages of 20 and 30. 12
Legal and Regulatory Frameworks
The government continues to stifle freedom of the press and restricts the flow of information. For example, it proposed a draft bill on audiovisual media that critics say
is aimed at cracking down on dissent and opposition voices on television and the
Internet across the region. 13 The bill requires journalists and broadcasters to avoid
Egypt
539