Algeria's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has launched a large scale program aimed at connecting 27,000 schools and 4,000 health facilities across the country.

ALCOMSAT-1

The program reflects Algeria's commitment to implementing the seventeen sustainable development goals laid out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda. The purpose is to improve access to public education and health services so as to enhance human development, meet the needs of the growing population, and ensure their availability in all areas of the country.

Algérie Télécom Satellite (ATS) will manage the network, using the ALCOMSAT-1 satellite, that was launched in 2017 by the Algerian space agency (ASAL). ALCOMSAT-1 is the first Algerian communications satellite. It was carried by Chinese launcher Long March 3B from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, located in Sichuan Province, 2,200 km southwest of Beijing.

ICT and eGovernment strategies

Algeria has almost 8.5 million students and 700 000 school employees, making the education sector a prime user of satellite communication as a third of these students and teachers live in rural areas. In the health sector, there are more than 49 750 doctors, with each medical specialist serving an average of 1413 patients.

This initiative is part of Algeria's ICT and eGovernment strategies, both of which contribute to sustainable development. The North-African nation hopes to benefit from these strategies by increasing productivity, stimulating economic growth, and reducing poverty.

Photo credit: Tomáš Malík