Egypt's economic reform programme helped the state enhance its ability to face the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on several levels, according to Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology. Talaat's remarks came during his speech during his participation in a virtual dialogue at the Paris Peace Forum on efforts to bridge the digital gap for a comprehensive post-pandemic recovery. The meeting also included Togo's Minister of Economy and Digital Transformation, the Director of the General Department for International Cooperation and Development at the European Commission, and the President of Blue Tone Technology and Internet Company. Talaat explained that one of the most prominent reform efforts is the implementation of an ambitious plan to develop information infrastructure throughout the republic, noting that a number of projects are being implemented in cooperation between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and all sectors of the state to adapt technology in facing the challenges imposed by the pandemic, including cooperation with the Ministry of Health in Implementation of a remote diagnosis and treatment project and establishing effective partnerships with the Ministries of Education, Technical Education and Higher Education and Scientific Research to make the educational process available via the Internet to serve 16 million students. He added that a number of initiatives are being implemented to implement advanced digital technologies to better serve citizens, increase productivity, and support the national economy. In addition to working to spread the culture of using the Internet and facilitating access to it for citizens, Talaat highlighted the continuation of work to raise the efficiency of the Internet, which has resulted in a doubling of Internet speeds during the past two years, reaching 44.7 Mbps in July 2021, compared to 15 Mbps in November 2019, according to Ookla Speedtest, a global benchmark for measuring Internet speeds. He explained that new frequency bands were launched and allocated to companies licensed to provide mobile services in Egypt by the end of 2020, as part of efforts to enhance the speed of 4G networks. The Minister of Communications said that a total of 4,500 villages were connected with fibre-optic network within three years to serve more than 58 million citizens, within the framework of the presidential initiative, "Decent Life". Talaat stressed that Egypt occupies the first place in the number of deals and investments in emerging companies in the Middle East and North Africa, in light of the doubling of the volume of investments in emerging companies in Egypt, which amounted to more than $390m during the first three quarters of this year. He added that huge investments are being directed to research and development, providing intensive training and learning opportunities, and building effective partnerships at the international level, with the aim of forming a base of experts in the field of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, data science and the Internet of Things to address the challenges facing Egyptian society.
