Statistical Abstract » Information and Communication Technology

This chapter contains data on the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in the ESCWA region. It includes data on telecommunications, computers and Internet which are divided into five tables and a chart. Each table represents changes related to a specific indicator for the years 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Definitions of terms used in tables have been devised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Table X-1 details the fixed telephone lines in operation per 100 inhabitants. A fixed telephone line in operation connects a subscriber’s terminal equipment to the public switched telephone network and has a dedicated port in the telephone exchange equipment.

Table X-2 lists cellular mobile subscribers per 100 inhabitants. Mobile subscribers are users of portable telephones who subscribe to an automatic public mobile telephone service, which provides access to the public switched telephone network using cellular technology.

Personal computers per 100 inhabitants are highlighted in table X-3. This refers to the number of personal computers in use in the country. The data in this table are primarily ITU estimates based on a number of national and international sources.

Table X-4 shows Internet users per 10,000 inhabitants. This refers to the total number of users with access to the worldwide network.

Internet hosts per 10,000 inhabitants are illustrated in table X-5. Internet hosts refer to the number of computers in an economy that are directly linked to the worldwide Internet network. This statistic is based on the country code in the host address and thus may not correspond with the actual physical location.