Egypt Online : 14 million internet users

A report published by the Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC), a thinktank affiliated with the Egyptian Cabinet, shows that the number of internet users in Egypt has risen from 300,000 in 1999 to 14.5 million today.

The report also indicates that Egyptian internet users ranked first amongst the number of Facebookers in the Arab World and 23rd worldwide. Likewise, access to Youtube increased drastically making Egypt Youtube's second-biggest Arab client and its 23rd worldwide. According to the report, 0.9% of Youtube activity until mid-January came from Egypt.

Even Less impressive however, was the Egyptian blogosphere. Only 30.7% of Arab-speaking blogs were Egyptian according to IDSC, amounting to a mere 2% of the global blogosphere. Only 63 Egyptian newspapers, magazines and publications had online editions amounting 40.4% of print publications in Egypt.

17 of Egyptian newspapers had online editions allowing reader comments - 12 "private" newspapers, 3 "national" newspapers and 2 partisan newspapers amounting to 27% of online Egyptian periodical publications. Al-Masry Al-Youm, according to IDSC, was the most popular.

30 channels broadcasting on Nile Sat had website amounting to 58.8% of the total 51 channels broadcasting on Nile Sat as of December 2009.

Poor information technology infrastructure and the high level of illiteracy still prevalent in Egypt today (coupled with "technological illiteracy" amongst the otherwise-literate) are the main barriers to the expansion of internet use and the flow of information in Egypt.

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