ICT for development in Tunisia: “Going the last mile”

Abstract

This paper seeks to provide an overview of achievements and caveats related to ICT strategies for development in Tunisia. We go beyond a conventional approach of digital divide by considering exclusion from or inequalities in access to high-speed wired broadband infrastructure as a significant explanative variable in this area. Accordingly, we link the roles of ICT as enablers of new opportunities for socio-economic growth to the development of the last mile of the wired broadband infrastructure. Our analysis of the Tunisian ICT environment shows a prevalence of mobile technologies for Internet access and telephony as well as regional and social disparities in availability, access to and use of wired broadband technologies and services. Despite the real interest of Tunisian society and economy in using Internet, the range of broadband enabled-services and applications is rather limited. Additionally, the Tunisian case provides a promising perspective as there is a relatively well developed fibre backbone and potentially good opportunity for developing the last mile of wired infrastructure. We therefore suggest that it is necessary to develop a governmental policy in collaboration with the private sector to further develop the last mile section as well as to overcome weaknesses in the current regulatory frameworks.