Internet usage in Yemen
Encyclopedia
Internet usage in Yemen began in 1996 through the ISP
TeleYemen and the Public Telecommunications Corporation.
users came to 110,000 in 2006, compared to 3,800 in 1991.
There has been a huge demand for faster Internet connections in Yemen, and that pushed the two ISPs (TeleYemen, operators of the service YNET
, and YemenNet, through the state's powerful Ministry of Telecommunications) to introduce ADSL
and ISDN
connections. Also, the E-government project that started on 2000 to give the citizens the ability to access web services and finalize G2C transactions increased the number of Internet users dramatically. But still the quality of speed is not that up to the mark. Telecommunication for international calls specially in Europe and U.S.A is quite high in comparison to other countries.
The Internet penetration in Yemen is among the lowest in the Arab World region. By September 2005, Yemen's Internet subscribers' penetration stood at a very small 0.5%, The Internet users penetration was however 2.4% by end of September 2005. The Arab Advisors Group projects the Internet subscribers' penetration to reach nearly 1.36% and the users' penetration to reach nearly 6.81% by end of 2010. Ms. Hadeel Sakkijha, Arab Advisors Research Analyst wrote in the report.
's tests of the filters found that the primary target was pornography
, but other content including "sex education
and provocative clothing sites, gay
and lesbian-related materials, gambling sites, dating sites, drug-related sites, sites enabling anonymous Web surfing, proxy servers that circumvent filtering, and sites with content related to converting Muslims to other religions" were blocked in varying degrees. However, the state "does not block political content and its blocking of religious content is limited, focusing only on a small number of anti-Islam sites."
A number of other policies have also been enacted by the Yemeni Ministry of Communications and the Yemeni Ministry of Culture. The government ordered that Internet cafe
s remove barriers separating users from each another. In the past, visitors had private cabinets to themselves, so that they could log on to the websites without being seen by anyone else.
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
TeleYemen and the Public Telecommunications Corporation.
Growth
Development of the telecommunications and information technology sectors in Yemen occurred from 2000 to 2005. The extent of investments in infrastructure development of telecom and IT systems came to more than YR 80 billion, in addition to loans of $31 million by the South Korean government. The number of subscribers to cellular telephone networks came to 1.2 million by early 2006, in comparison to 153,000 in 1991. The number of InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
users came to 110,000 in 2006, compared to 3,800 in 1991.
There has been a huge demand for faster Internet connections in Yemen, and that pushed the two ISPs (TeleYemen, operators of the service YNET
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
, and YemenNet, through the state's powerful Ministry of Telecommunications) to introduce ADSL
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
Asymmetric digital subscriber line is a type of digital subscriber line technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem can provide. It does this by utilizing frequencies that are not used by a voice...
and ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network
Integrated Services Digital Network is a set of communications standards for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data, and other network services over the traditional circuits of the public switched telephone network...
connections. Also, the E-government project that started on 2000 to give the citizens the ability to access web services and finalize G2C transactions increased the number of Internet users dramatically. But still the quality of speed is not that up to the mark. Telecommunication for international calls specially in Europe and U.S.A is quite high in comparison to other countries.
The Internet penetration in Yemen is among the lowest in the Arab World region. By September 2005, Yemen's Internet subscribers' penetration stood at a very small 0.5%, The Internet users penetration was however 2.4% by end of September 2005. The Arab Advisors Group projects the Internet subscribers' penetration to reach nearly 1.36% and the users' penetration to reach nearly 6.81% by end of 2010. Ms. Hadeel Sakkijha, Arab Advisors Research Analyst wrote in the report.
Filtering
The government of Yemen, through its control of both ISPs in the country, filters what Internet content its citizens can access. The OpenNet InitiativeOpenNet Initiative
The OpenNet Initiative is a joint project whose goal is to monitor and report on internet filtering and surveillance practices by nations. The project employs a number of technical means, as well as an international network of investigators, to determine the extent and nature of government-run...
's tests of the filters found that the primary target was pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
, but other content including "sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
and provocative clothing sites, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and lesbian-related materials, gambling sites, dating sites, drug-related sites, sites enabling anonymous Web surfing, proxy servers that circumvent filtering, and sites with content related to converting Muslims to other religions" were blocked in varying degrees. However, the state "does not block political content and its blocking of religious content is limited, focusing only on a small number of anti-Islam sites."
A number of other policies have also been enacted by the Yemeni Ministry of Communications and the Yemeni Ministry of Culture. The government ordered that Internet cafe
Internet cafe
An Internet café or cybercafé is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the café in the name...
s remove barriers separating users from each another. In the past, visitors had private cabinets to themselves, so that they could log on to the websites without being seen by anyone else.