Digital Infrastructure as a Driver of National Digital Transformation in Algeria: An Analytical and Quantitative Study of Telecommunications and Internet Indicators (2013–2026)

Abstract

This study examines the development of digital infrastructure in Algeria and its implications for the conditions underpinning national digital transformation over the 2013–2026 policy period. It extends the earlier policy-oriented focus on the E-Algérie 2013 project by providing a longitudinal, data-driven assessment of telecommunications and internet development. The empirical analysis combines annual World Bank indicators derived from International Telecommunication Union (ITU) statistics for 2014–2024 with recent sectoral evidence from the Autorité de Régulation de la Poste et des Communications Électroniques (ARPCE), Algérie Télécom, and Ookla Speedtest for 2024–2026. The study therefore distinguishes between the longer policy trajectory and the different statistical periods available from the underlying sources.
The findings indicate substantial growth in internet use, fixed broadband subscriptions, and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployment, while mobile connectivity remains widespread. They also show increasing fixed-internet data traffic and comparatively strong network-performance results in the selected North African comparison. However, these indicators should be interpreted as evidence of infrastructure development and digital-readiness conditions rather than as direct measures of digital transformation outcomes. The study argues that the translation of connectivity into effective national digital transformation also depends on service quality, territorial equity, competition, cybersecurity, digital public services, institutional capacity, digital skills, and the ability to convert infrastructure into measurable socioeconomic value. The article contributes by integrating longitudinal infrastructure indicators with recent sectoral evidence and by clarifying the distinction between connectivity expansion and broader digital transformation.