Saudi Arabia called, at the Information Summit in Tunisia, for an international administration for the Internet.
Addressing the International Summit for Information Society in Tunis today, the Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Mohammed bin Jameel Mulla conveyed his country's call for an international administration for the internet, in which all parties are to be represented, so that the objectives of the international and governmental organizations could concert with those of the private sector and the civil society in a way that would not contradict with the sovereignty rights of states.
He said the Kingdom supported the administrative mechanism reached at the summit's preparatory meetings. He underscored the importance of forming an internet international administration, guaranteeing a fair internet distribution of sources and easy access for all and a stable and secure operation that would take into consideration the different languages.
He told the conference that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was keen that the meeting achieves its goal of narrowing the digital gap between the north and the south.
Then he briefed the conference on the steps taken by the Kingdom to transfer to an informative society. He cited the restructuring of the communications and information technology sector, forming the national committee for information society and the national committee for electronic transactions, and putting in place a national plan for telecommunications and information technology.
He also told the conference that the Kingdom has made great strides in liberating and privatizing the communications and information technology sectors, citing the sale of 30 percent of the stocks of the Saudi Telecommunications Company in 2003 and licensing four companies to run telecommunications services using a small satellite station, licensing companies to provide personal mobile communications services using the satellites and licensing companies to provide mobile phone and fixed phone services.
He said the the fixed phone rate in Saudi Arabia stands at 16 percent, the mobile at 42 percent and the internet at 10 percent.
Briefing his listeners on the infrastructure of information society in the Kingdom, the Minster said the Kingdom is linked to the world by more than 40,000 international circuits. Saudi Arabia possesses a full-digit communications network and is currently working to build two new data networks, he said, adding that his country has also been successful in having access to information and protecting them.
