Houda Feraoun: “Updating and troubleshooting of equipment behind the Internet disturbances”

The Minister of Post and Information and Communication Technology, Houda-Imène Feraoun, confirmed that the launch of the 4G mobile in Algeria won’t be postponed and that this advanced technology will be operational no later than the fourth quarter of the current year.

The Minister was speaking on the sidelines of the signing of the framework agreement between the Ministry of Health, Population and Hospital Reform and that of Post and Information and Communication Technologies for the development of a national network of care and telemedicine.

The relevant agreement was initialed at Isaâd-Hassani Hospital of Beni Messous in upper Algiers by the Minister of Health, Abdelmalek Boudiaf, and the Minister of Post and ICT, Houda-Imène Feraoun.

However, she said that an additional 10 days had been granted to the three 4G vying mobile phone operators based in Algeria to submit their respective tenders.

In addition, Ms. Feraoun underscored the availability of her sector to contribute to the smooth implementation of e-government in general and to work in close conjunction with the health sector in order to boost and improve the taking in charge of citizens including those living in remote areas of the country.

She further highlighted the advantages that could benefit the Department of Health via the implementation of this technology and the new opportunities offered to the sector such as the rapprochement between the various health specialists and the upgrading of the pedagogical level in addition to enhancing the performance of health facilities in different parts of the country.

The Minister also pointed by the same token to the projected expansion of ADSL with an improvement in the relevant provisions of service through the program launched in 2016 providing notably for the fiber optic extension especially in the country’s remote areas.

Ms Houda Feraoun added that the government would spare no effort to enhance the health of citizens in general and those of the Highlands and the South in particular, stressing that the achievement of this up-to-date telemedicine project cost one billion Dinars (DA).