Update:
January 2001
Palestinian territories
|
Palestinian territories |
These pages present basic facts and technology indicators about the Information Society developments in the Palestinian territories.
All data have been collected at the end of 2000 from readily publicly available sources of information. Since they depend on definitions which are not standardised in all countries, or, in some cases on estimates, and also due to the difficulty to obtain statistical data and series in several countries covered, these indicators should be considered only as indicative of trends and general tendencies.
This report has been prepared under the sole responsibility of the ESIS II contractors. We welcome any additional information or corrections. Please contact the ESIS contractor in charge of the country concerned.
1. Economic data
1.1 General socio-economic data
|
Reference year |
||
|
Total area (km2) |
5,640 sq km |
End of 2000 |
|
Population (million) |
2,783,084 |
1997 |
|
Gross national Product (GNP) (EURO billion) |
5.2 |
1998 * |
|
Real Growth Domestic Product (GDP) Growth Rate (%) / previous year |
W.B. GDP (Million US$) 2758.3 |
1998 |
|
Growth National Product (GNP) per capita (EURO) |
W.B. GDP per Capita (US$) 1678.8 |
1999 |
|
Economic structure |
Agriculture: 6.9 % |
1999 |
Source : Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (Palestine in Figures 1999)
* US Gov: "Country Commercial Guide FY 2000: West Bank and Gaza
1.2 Telecom market size
|
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
End 2000 |
|
|
Operators market (EURO million) |
||||
|
PSTN |
35 *** |
160 (est) * |
180 (est) Available switching capacity ~500 lines ** |
$90,775,512 |
|
ISDN |
N/A |
0 ** |
Few 100 ** |
$128,380 |
|
Value-Added Services |
|
|
$ 1,524 |
|
|
Mobile |
N/A |
26.5 (est) * |
~17 on the Palestinian network ~100 on the Israeli network ** |
Approx. 2M |
|
Satellite |
N/A ** |
0 |
||
|
Cable |
N/A ** |
0 |
||
|
Equipment market (EURO million) |
||||
|
Total Telecom market (EURO million) |
Source: * Palestine Telecommunications Company,
** Hi-Tek Engineering Ltd
*** Palestine Telecommunications Company: Annual Report for 1997N.B: The data for 1998 are estimates by Paltel. Concerning mobile, this figure is an estimation of the revenue Paltel estimates they will generate. It is an estimate that is independent of Bezeq and other Israeli operators that are currently in the Palestinian mobile market since Paltel is at the moment installing its own network.
1.3 Computer market size
|
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
End 2000 |
|
|
Services market (EURO million) |
7 * |
7 * |
7 * |
|
Equipment market (EURO million) |
70 * |
70 * |
70 * |
|
Total Computer market (EURO million) |
77 |
77 |
77 |
Source: * Hi-Tek Engineering Ltd with the aid of raw data from the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics
2. Actors and competition
2.1 Fixed Operators
|
Number of operators having a license End of 2000 |
1 |
Source : Palestine Telecommunications Company
|
Fixed operators End of 2000 |
|
Palestine Telecommunications Company |
Source : Palestine Telecommunications Company
2.2 Mobile Operators
|
Name of Operator |
Type of network |
Number of subscribers |
% of the market (End of 2000) |
|
|
End 1999 |
End of 2000 |
|||
|
Palestine Celluar Company (Jawwal) |
GSM |
15000 |
70000 |
25% (the remaining use Israeli networks) |
Source : Palestine Telecommunications Company
2.3 Internet Service Providers
|
Estimation of the Number of Internet Service Providers |
Last reference date |
|
12 |
12/2000 |
Source : Birzeit University Information Technology Unit
|
Main Internet Services Providers Date End of 2000 |
||
|
Company |
Web sites |
Number of subscribers |
|
Additions to the previous information are the following two ISPs: Approximate increase in number of subscribers since last study is 25% |
||
|
PIS |
2000 |
|
|
Raanet |
3000 |
|
|
Alami |
600 |
|
|
Halley |
www.halley.net |
3750 |
|
Hebron Net |
www.hebronet.com |
313 |
|
Jerusalem On-Line |
www.jrol.com |
875 |
|
Palestine On-Line |
www.p-ol.com |
875 |
|
Palnet |
www.palnet.com |
5625 |
|
Planet |
www.planet.edu |
500 |
|
Shabaka |
www.shabaka.net |
188 |
|
Zaytona |
375 |
|
Source : Estimates by the Birzeit University Information Technology Unit (BIT)
2.4 Portals
|
Main portals - End of 2000 |
|
|
Name |
Internet Address |
|
Aroob |
www.aroob.com |
|
Al-Buraq |
www.alburaq.net |
|
Albawaba |
www.albawaba.com |
|
Arab Supernet |
www.a-supernet.com |
|
Palestine Development Gateway |
www.psgateway.org. |
Source : Birzeit University Information Technology Unit
3. Basic Indicators
3.1 Telephones lines
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
End of 2000 |
|
|
Total number of conventional lines |
83,621 * |
110,893 * |
170,000 *** |
222,000 |
270,000 |
|
Total number of 64k ISDN lines (subscriptions) |
0 |
0 |
0 **** |
Few hundred **** |
180 |
|
Total number of mobile phone lines |
25,000 ** |
40,000 ** |
100,000 * |
117,000 **** |
285,000 |
|
Total number of lines |
108,621 |
150,893 |
270,000 |
~ 340,000 |
555,180 |
Sources: * Palestinian Telecommunications Company (PalTel)
** ITU, 1999
*** Palestinian Newspaper ‘Al-Ayyam’ website, 04/99
**** Hi-Tek Engineering Ltd
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month x of 2000 |
|
|
Total number of conventional lines per 100 inh. |
2.9 |
3.8 |
5.9 |
8 |
8.6 |
|
Total number of 64k ISDN lines (subscriptions) per 100 inh. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0.006 |
|
|
Total number of mobile phone lines per 100 inh. |
0.9 |
1.4 |
3.4 |
3.9 |
9.0 |
|
Total number of lines per 100 inh. |
3.8 |
5.2 |
9.3 |
~ 11.3 |
17.6 |
Source : Paltel
|
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month x of 2000 |
|
% of 64k ISDN lines (subscriptions) / Total number of lines |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
% of mobiles phone lines / Total number of lines |
23 % |
26.5 % |
37 % |
34.4% |
51.3% |
Source: Paltel
3.2 Telecom equipment
|
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
End of 2000 |
||
|
Telephones sets |
Installed base |
540,000 |
||
|
Penetration rate (units per 100 inh.) |
17.1 |
|||
|
Public pay phones |
Installed base |
900 |
2931 |
3271 |
|
|
Penetration rate (units per 1000 inh.) |
0.3 |
0.97 |
1.04 |
|
Videotex terminals |
Installed base |
0 |
||
|
Videoconference stations |
Installed base |
5 |
||
|
Penetration rate (units per 1000 inh.) |
0.002 |
|||
|
Pagers |
Installed base |
0 |
Sources: PalTel
3.3 Personal computers
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
Month 12 of 2000 |
|
|
Total number of Home PCs |
16096 ** |
52000 |
|||
|
Total number of Business PCs |
54000 |
59400 |
64000 |
||
|
Total number of PCs |
8000* |
16096 |
54000 (est) * |
116000 |
Sources:
*. Estimations made by Hi-Tek Engineering Ltd
** Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, 1997.(PCBS)
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
End of 2000 |
|
|
Total number of Home PCs per 100 inh. |
0.6 |
|
1.7 |
||
|
Total number of Business PCs per 100 inh. |
|
1.9 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
|
|
Total number of PCs per 100 inh. |
0.3 |
0.6 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
3.7 |
Source : PCBS
3.4 Internet
3.4.1 General data
|
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
End of 2000 *** |
|
|
Number of internet users |
35000 |
||
|
Number of Internet domestic users |
7000 (est) * |
~10,000 ** |
20000 |
|
Number of Internet users per 100 inh |
1 |
||
|
Estimation of Internet penetration rate in companies |
0.0055 * |
2% |
Source : * Paltel
** Hi-Tek Engineering
*** Estimates based on PCBS results and Hi-Tek information
3.4.2 E-Commerce
|
End of 2000 |
|
|
E-commerce market (EURO Million) |
Negligible |
|
E-commerce spending per 100 inh (Euros) |
Negligible |
|
End of 2000 |
|
|
Number of e-commerce users |
Negligible |
|
Number of e-commerce users per 100 inh |
Negligible |
|
Number of e-commerce Users/Total Number of Internet Users |
Negligible |
3.4.3 Web sites
|
Number of addresses under country domain |
Last reference date |
|
1 |
December 2000 |
Source : Government Computer Center
3.4.4 Internet hosts
|
Number of Internet hosts |
Last reference date |
|
Handful |
December 2000 |
Source : Birzeit University Information Technology Unit
3.5 Miscellaneous
|
Teleworking |
Total number of teleworkers |
Last reference date |
|
Teleworkers |
Negligible |
December 2000 |
Source : BIT
|
Television |
Total number |
Number per 100 inh. |
Last reference date |
|
Number of TV sets |
427 474 |
13.6 |
End 2000 |
|
Number of Home Cable TV Subscribers |
0 |
0 |
End 2000 |
|
Number of Home equipped with Satellite |
214 452 |
6.8% |
End 2000 |
Source: Based in PCBS survey
|
Waiting Time |
Average waiting time |
Last reference date |
|
Average waiting time for fixed telephone subscription |
It varies, depending on the zone the resident lives; from a few days to a few years |
2000 |
Sources: Hi-Tek Engineering
|
Network digitisation |
Rate |
Last reference date |
|
Network digitisation rate |
100% |
Dec 2000 |
Source: Paltel
4. The use of public network
4.1 Voice
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
|
|
Number of calls per inh. |
0.11 ** |
0.16 * |
0.22 * |
|
Number of minutes called per inh. |
N/A |
0.37 * |
0.51 * |
|
Total number of minutes of national communications (million) |
N/A |
323.36 * |
474.46 * |
|
Total number of minutes of international communications (million) |
N/A |
22.28 * |
29.00 * |
|
Total number of minutes (million) |
|
345.64 |
504.19 |
Sources: * PalTel
** Approximation by OTE-Consulting using PalTel Annual Report for 1997
4.2 Data
|
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
End of 2000 |
|
|
Switched (tera octets) |
130 per line |
130 per line |
130 per line |
|
IP (tera octets) |
0 |
||
|
X25 (tera octets) |
0 |
||
|
Frame Relay (tera octets) |
0 |
||
|
ATM (tera octets) |
0 |
||
|
Total Traffic (tera octets) |
11,000,000 |
Sources: PalTel
5. The telephone tariffs of historical operator
|
End 1996 |
End 1997 |
End 1998 |
End 1999 |
End of 2000 |
|
|
Fixed costs (EURO) |
|||||
|
Installation for main line |
154.2 |
154.2 |
154.2 |
154.2 |
154.2 |
|
Rental per month for main line |
6.2 |
9.3 |
9.3 |
9.3 |
9.3 |
|
Variable costs (EURO) |
|
|
|
||
|
Local call per minute |
0.015 |
0.016 |
0.016 |
0.016 |
0.010 |
|
Long Distance call per minute |
(A) |
(A) |
(A) |
(A) |
0.04 |
|
Average of International call per minute |
0.625 |
Sources: PalTel
(A) 1996 1997 1998 1999
Long distance within the same area code 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05
Long distance within different area codes 0.09 0.10 0.10 0.10
