Georgia to enjoy high-speed Internet soon
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
Georgia will have full access to high-speed internet by 2017, the country's prime minister promises.
Irakli Garibashvili said the government was actively working on a project titled "High Speed Internet for Everyone", which envisages providing full high-speed connection in the country.
"This project aims to install fiber-optic cables in all villages and towns of Georgia," Garibashvili said.
"Georgia should be provided with high-speed Internet by 2017. Implementing this project is important from a social and economic point of view," he added.
The contractor company for the project, as well as the term of implementation period and the cost of project are yet to be announced.
Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said the government intended to support the establishment of a trunk cable system that will ensure a top-quality Internet for 2,000 settlements in Georgia.
"The company that is responsible for creating the system will be tasked to provide the whole Georgia with central networks within three years. After that the providers will be able to bring Internet to individual users," Kvirikashvili said.
Latest data from the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information showed that the number of Internet subscribers in Georgia has increased in recent years. So, 252,131 subscribers browsed internet through wired internet in 2010, while the number of these subscriptions has jumped to 434,969 as of October, 2013.
In terms of regional accessibility, the IDFI data revealed that the Internet access was most prevalent in capital Tbilisi, with 273,392 subscriptions, followed by Imereti with 42,198 subscriptions. Moreover, access to internet was "uneven” in Georgia’s regions, according to the IDFI.
- - -
Follow Mushvig Mehdiyev on Twitter: @Mushviggo
Follow us on Twitter: @AzerNews