PREFACE For decades the Internet and digital technologies have been gradually transforming economy, the society and our daily lives in many ways. Today, however, we are still counting our first steps towards the digital revolution that will bring profound transformation to the way we work, produce, live, receive services and acquire knowledge. The range and consequences of these expected changes are considered worldwide to be the second most important revolution, following the industrial one that marked the nineteenth century, improving dramatically the life of a significant part of the world population. Establishing a never-existed-before global social context, it has made knowledge accessible for everyone at a low cost, merely that of Internet access. Albania, like Europe and the world, is embracing this digital revolution by creating new opportunities for citizens and business to benefit. In this context, the Government of Albanian has taken a strong commitment towards supporting and promoting digital initiatives as a powerful tool that leads to modernized governance, increased know-how for a society that is more open, and a sustainable economic development for its citizens. Our efforts in this regard intended to foster regional cooperation and are coordinated with the European legal and institutional framework in the process of Albania’s integration into the European Union. Albania has adapted its legal framework on information society to comply with the EU Acquis Communautaire, while being constantly in touch with the dynamic developments of the Digital Single Market. Albania already possesses powerful instruments to develop the digital market and e-services, including full coverage of the population with mobile phones and secure identity cards, as well as a state consolidated and interactive digital infrastructure. Young in age, our population makes intensive use of mobile phones on the basis of a solid 3G-infrastructure, with the 4G service coverage having just started to spread. The secure identity cards provided to the Albanian citizens enable electronic identification and qualified electronic signatures that will help both the public and private sector develop reduced in time and cost-effective, services and processes. Our government systems are interconnected through an up-to-date infrastructure designed with the support of the European Union and other donors, and further 6

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