Egypt Ranks 2nd in Africa in Terms of Internet Speed

Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology said that the average internet speed in Egypt reaches more than 30 Mbps to occupy the second position in Africa compared to the average speed of 5.7 Mbps in 2018, when Egypt then occupied the 40th place out of 43 countries in the continent.

This came during an e-meeting between the minister and a group of youth via the Instagram platform conducted by Adel al-Adawi, a professor of international relations at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

Talaat explained that Egypt's progress in the average fixed internet speed was a result of implementing a project to raise the efficiency of the infrastructure. This development contributed to the ability to absorb the demand on the Internet and the high loads during the current period.

The minister stressed that Egypt is able to overcome the pandemic crisis and that the government is working as a team to face any future repercussions, explaining the ministry’s efforts to support the state’s plans in this regard by providing a sustainable service to citizens and putting forward a number of initiatives that aim to motivate citizens to stay at home, and support various sectors, including distance learning, and e-working.

Taalat announced the launch of an initiative for training with an international company specialized in the field of artificial intelligence, followed by other initiatives with major universities and international companies to deepen Egyptian expertise in this field.

The minister briefed his viewers on the concept of artificial intelligence based on storing the computer for huge volumes of data, then conducting analyzes and comparing them with extremely complex nature, and how this science has evolved from an academic to realistic technology that results today in practical results that benefit society, indicating that by 2023, the world would spend $ 100 billion annually in this field , stressing that the world views data as a new natural wealth that must be invested in, pointing out that the percentage of the demand for artificial intelligence experts reached 334%.

He added that Egypt is the first country in the MENA region to attract investments to startups in the field of communications and digital technologies as a result of the innovative thinking of Egyptian youth, and the Ministry's keenness to hone their skills.

Internet to dramatically change workforce

Talaat explained that the fourth industrial revolution contributed to an unprecedented change in the labor market, as the WTO report indicated that within 3 years more than 75 million jobs will disappear, corresponding to creating 133 million new job opportunities. The labor market will change In the system of skills and experiences required by jobs that will be created.

There will be an increasing demand for experiences related to artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity and creativity skills.

He explained that the Ministry provides free training opportunities for youth through the digital platforms of the Ministry and its affiliated bodies in light of relying on distance learning techniques.

The minister added that the current period witnesses training of 80,000 youth daily through these platforms, while seeking to increase the number.

He called on the youth to acquire the necessary skills that qualify him to work in this industry and strive towards continuous learning, diligence and hard work to sharpen their skills in order to achieve success.

It is worth mentioning that Facebook along with other telecom companies around the world, including Telecom Egypt launched the 2Africa Initiative, which aims to provide internet and connectivity to users around the globe.

This project will bring reliable internet speeds to people in the region, and it will become a pillar for 4G expansion, and in the future of 5G for a larger part of the world.