74.2% of Respondents in the Survey See the Lack of Infrastructure as One of the Most Prominent Problems Facing the Telecommunications Sector in Yemen

Sawt Al-Amal (Voice of Hope) – Yomna Ahmed 

The telecommunications sector is one of the most vital sectors that contribute significantly to economic and social development. However, the telecommunications sector in Yemen faces many problems that have led to the weakness of the services it provides and have hindered its development. One of the most prominent of these problems is the severe damage to the infrastructure of this sector, which has affected communication services in vast areas of the country. This has led to restricted access to telephone and internet communications.

In addition to this, telecommunications companies in Yemen suffer from a lack of funding and support due to the decline in economic activity, which has made it difficult to provide the necessary investments to modernize infrastructure and expand services. This has been reflected in the quality of services provided and has made their availability limited to certain areas. In addition to the high cost of these services, which are difficult to bear, especially in light of the economic crisis that Yemen is suffering from.

As a result of all this, the Information and Opinion Polling Unit at “Yemen Information Center” conducted an opinion poll entitled (Telecommunications in Yemen) to find out the opinions of a sample of Yemeni society about the most important problems facing this sector and to find out the solutions to these problems from their point of view.

The survey was conducted on a research sample of 131 people, with the majority of participants being male at 61.3% compared to 38.7% female. The age groups of the respondents varied, with 45.2% of them being young people between the ages of 26-35, 22.4% between the ages of 18-25, and 19.4% being participants from the age groups between 36-45. 6.5% were between the ages of 46-65 and 6.5% were over 65 years old.

As for the educational qualification, the majority of the participants were those with a bachelor’s degree at 48.3%, followed by those with higher certificates at 35.5%, then those with a high school diploma at 9.7%, and only 6.5% for university students.

Regarding the geographical scope of the survey, the sample came from ten governorates: Sana’a at 38.6%, Taiz at 19.4%, Ibb at 9.7%, Aden at 6.5%, Lahj at 6.5%, Hadhramaut at 6.5%, and 3.2% each for Dhamar, Sa’ada, Al-Mahwit, and Hodeidah, respectively.

Main Results

At first, we asked participants in the survey about how satisfied they were with the quality of services provided by the telecommunications sector in Yemen.

64.5% of respondents are dissatisfied with the quality of telecom services in Yemen.

32.3% believe the quality is good.

3.2% find the quality acceptable considering the challenges faced by the sector.

As for the quality of phone and internet communications in Yemen, the survey participants rated it as follows:

48.4% rate the quality as bad.

25.8% find it acceptable.

12.9% consider it good.

12.9% rate it excellent.

71% believe wireless coverage doesn’t reach all areas of the country, particularly in rural areas where it might be weak or non-existent.

29% disagree with this statement.

When it comes to digital security and privacy provided by the telecommunications sector in Yemen to users, 58.1% of the survey participants believe that the telecommunications sector in Yemen does not provide sufficient privacy for users, while 41.9% of them answered that they believe the telecommunications sector in Yemen does provide sufficient privacy for users.

Despite these challenges, respondents agreed that the telecommunications sector faces several problems that significantly hinder the improvement of service quality. These problems, in their opinion, are:

Weak infrastructure: 74.2%

Armed conflict and security disturbances: 51.6%

Lack of resources and investments: 45.2%

Difficulty accessing remote areas: 38.7%

Lack of clear regulations and policies: 37.8%

High cost of services: 29%

Participants also believe that the quality of telecommunications services in Yemen can be improved through the following:

• Investing in the development and modernization of telecommunications infrastructure: 83.9%
• Strengthening international cooperation and partnerships with organizations with expertise in the field of telecommunications: 61.3%
• Developing clear and effective policies to regulate the telecommunications sector: 51.6%
• Supporting innovation and adopting modern technology: 41.9%
• Providing training and development for workers in this sector: 22.6%

In conclusion, respondents agree that the telecommunications sector in Yemen has been severely affected by the conflict and economic crisis. Despite this, developing the telecommunications sector in Yemen could have a significant positive impact on the economy and society. This could contribute to boosting businesses, stimulating innovation, and providing numerous economic opportunities.