Introducing Internet to Egypt: experiences and challenges

The paper presents a comprehensive overview of the communication and networking infrastructure as a base to depend on for introducing the Internet to Egypt. The overview covers the Egyptian PTT facilities like the PSTN and the PDN as well as the roles, services and platforms of the main networking organizations in Egypt. Two of the leading organizations in Egypt in the area of communication, FRCU and IDSC, are taking over the responsibility of introducing the "Internet culture" and multivendor network solutions to Egypt using local expertise. The various steps which have been accomplished and the further plans are outlined in some detail. In addition, the challenges of introducing the Internet to Egypt and the Arab region are addressed. These challenges encompass technical and financial limitations as well as strong needs for a solid network management system and an arabized electronic mail interface.<>