Azerbaijan`s Internet use rating down
Azerbaijan ranks 97th among 154 countries for the
number of Internet users. The figure dropped by 15 points from 2002
to 2007, a UN agency has said.
As for Internet fees, the South Caucasus republic, which has a rapidly developing ICT sector, ranked 110th, which is considered high, says the ICT Development Index released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Osman Gunduz, the head of Azerbaijan Internet Forum, claimed that the steps taken of late to lower fees for the use of the world wide web have failed to produce the desired result.
Gunduz noted that although Internet service providers had previously announced that they would double connection speed while keeping the prices unchanged, this has not been done.
"We have conducted monitoring in all local providers. We found out that not only did they fail to increase connection speed, but the speed is actually twice slower than before. Assume that a citizen buying and bringing home a kilo of meat is actually able to get only half a kilo of what he has bought. The same situation is currently observed with regard to the Internet, i.e. the population is being deceived."
Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technologies Iltimas Mammadov said earlier that Internet fees in Azerbaijan had already fallen to reach average levels across the region and pledged that measures would be continued to further lower the prices.
An hour of access to the world wide web currently costs between 60 Gapiks and 1 manat (up to $1.20) in local Internet cafes, depending on the speed of data transfer. Thus, the fees are considerably above those in other countries. Whereas 1MB high-speed Internet costs $690 in Azerbaijan, it is $583 in Armenia, $490 in Iran, $286 in Russia, and as low as $40-50 in Turkey.
Over a million people, or some 12% of Azerbaijan`s population, use the Web. 35 ISPs are operating in the country.
As for Internet fees, the South Caucasus republic, which has a rapidly developing ICT sector, ranked 110th, which is considered high, says the ICT Development Index released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Osman Gunduz, the head of Azerbaijan Internet Forum, claimed that the steps taken of late to lower fees for the use of the world wide web have failed to produce the desired result.
Gunduz noted that although Internet service providers had previously announced that they would double connection speed while keeping the prices unchanged, this has not been done.
"We have conducted monitoring in all local providers. We found out that not only did they fail to increase connection speed, but the speed is actually twice slower than before. Assume that a citizen buying and bringing home a kilo of meat is actually able to get only half a kilo of what he has bought. The same situation is currently observed with regard to the Internet, i.e. the population is being deceived."
Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technologies Iltimas Mammadov said earlier that Internet fees in Azerbaijan had already fallen to reach average levels across the region and pledged that measures would be continued to further lower the prices.
An hour of access to the world wide web currently costs between 60 Gapiks and 1 manat (up to $1.20) in local Internet cafes, depending on the speed of data transfer. Thus, the fees are considerably above those in other countries. Whereas 1MB high-speed Internet costs $690 in Azerbaijan, it is $583 in Armenia, $490 in Iran, $286 in Russia, and as low as $40-50 in Turkey.
Over a million people, or some 12% of Azerbaijan`s population, use the Web. 35 ISPs are operating in the country.
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