Azerbaijan to use information and communication as economic boost

The information and communication sector of Azerbaijan has increased
five-fold, reaching $1.5 billion, the Minister of Communication and
Information Technologies, Ali Abbasov, told RBC Daily.

The minister said that the sector has a share of 3.5% of GDP. The
annual rate has been 30-32% since 2003, excluding 2009 when it dropped
to 13-14%. The average global rate is 10%.

The main goal is to have the ICT sector reach the level of the oil
export sector in 2020-2025.

Abbasov said that Azerbaijan reached a 100% mobile communication level
in 2010. Telephone communication throughout the whole territory was
achieved in 2008.

50% of the population uses the Internet. Every single inhabited area
has Internet access. 12% of the country had broadband Internet,
according to data of 1 October 2010. State TV and radio coverage is
100%, private – 80-85%.

The minister says that direct investments from the budget in the ICT
are equal to $50-60 million annually. The sector receives an average
of $300 million annually. Over $1.5 billion were invested in the ICT
sector in the last 5 years.