Just another highlight from the first day of the Jordan ICT Forum: the new targets that Intaj has set for the ICT industry, to be reached by 2011. This comes after the REACH initiative has run its course, with some of its aims achieved, while other still remain open.
By 2011, Jordan ICT industry is supposed to:
Reach a 50% internet penetration (it’s 10% now)
Employ, 35,000 people (it employs 10,000 now)
Achieve 3 billion US$ of revenues (it’s 500 million now)
Pretty ambitious targets I would say. Personally, the most interesting one is the 50% internet penetration level. For that to happen, the cost of internet access has to REALLY drop. So does the cost of buying s PC.
I want to quote Fastlink’s Chief Commercial Officer Bashar Arafeh here:
“Internet access in Jordan is more expensive than in Europe, in absolute terms. In terms of cost compared to income levels, internet access is an unaffordable luxury. Broadband access cost per month has to drop below JD 10 and Jordanians need to be able to buy subsidized PCs for less than JD 100”.
I can only agree with what he said.
Comments
2 responses to “Beyond “Reach”: The new targets for Jordan’s IT industry”
Of course!
and this thingy that the connection Should be thru JT is a major Obstacle….
for example, an ex-JT customer like me will never even think of getting back to JT in order to get internet. if i had trouble with them for years because of a simple land line with all those technical and fees faults and troubles they got me into…. I will FOR SURE, not get back to experience a DSL connection with them … NO WAY!
I do really prefer to keep being internet illitrate than being connected through JT!