Azerbaijan leads on drop in cell fees: UN agency
Azerbaijan leads the way on a significant drop in cellular tariffs,
which dwindled by a staggering 81% in the country between 2008 and
2009, a UN agency has said.
The other countries in the top five are Sri Lanka (67%), Nepal (64%), Ukraine (58%) and Mexico (52%), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU's) annual report on developments in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector found.
The countries with the lowest cellular fees included Hong Kong (China), Norway, Denmark, Singapore and Austria, says the ITU's 2010 report on Measuring the Information Society.
The ITU predicts that cellular phone subscriptions worldwide, which constituted 4.6 billion by the end of 2009, will exceed 5 billion this year, despite the economic crisis.
In Azerbaijan, the share of consumers’ spending on ICT services in their income dropped to 5.82% from 16.02% in 2009 compared to 2008, despite the country’s leading position on the reduction of fees. Also, in this period the share of expenses on fixed-line telephony in people’s total earnings decreased to 0.78% from 1.44%, while that in cellular communications went down to 1.39% from 7.16%, and that in broadband Internet services went down to 15.27% from 39.77%.
The top ten countries in telecomunications and Internet usage were Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark, Netherlands, Iceland, Switzerland, Norway and Britain in Europe and South Korea and Japan in Asia, according to the report. Nigeria, Vietnam and Cap Verde were among the most dynamic developing countries.
Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuwait, Luxembourg, the United States, Denmark, Norway, Britain, and Iceland had the lowest ICT fees per head, compared to their national income.
Azerbaijan ranked 81st in the rating, which assessed a total of 159 countries. As for other CIS states, Russia was rated 48th, while Belarus 55th, Ukraine 58th, Kazakhstan 69th, Moldova 73rd, Georgia 80th, Armenia 88th, Kyrgyzstan 99th, Turkmenistan 108th, Uzbekistan 110th, and Tajikistan 111th.
The ITU also said that 22% of men and 13% of women in Azerbaijan use the Web.
The report was drawn up based on research conducted on the level of ICT development in world countries. It said that overall, ICT-related figures have improved globally and cellular communication remains the most advanced sector of world economy.*
The other countries in the top five are Sri Lanka (67%), Nepal (64%), Ukraine (58%) and Mexico (52%), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU's) annual report on developments in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector found.
The countries with the lowest cellular fees included Hong Kong (China), Norway, Denmark, Singapore and Austria, says the ITU's 2010 report on Measuring the Information Society.
The ITU predicts that cellular phone subscriptions worldwide, which constituted 4.6 billion by the end of 2009, will exceed 5 billion this year, despite the economic crisis.
In Azerbaijan, the share of consumers’ spending on ICT services in their income dropped to 5.82% from 16.02% in 2009 compared to 2008, despite the country’s leading position on the reduction of fees. Also, in this period the share of expenses on fixed-line telephony in people’s total earnings decreased to 0.78% from 1.44%, while that in cellular communications went down to 1.39% from 7.16%, and that in broadband Internet services went down to 15.27% from 39.77%.
The top ten countries in telecomunications and Internet usage were Sweden, Luxembourg, Denmark, Netherlands, Iceland, Switzerland, Norway and Britain in Europe and South Korea and Japan in Asia, according to the report. Nigeria, Vietnam and Cap Verde were among the most dynamic developing countries.
Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuwait, Luxembourg, the United States, Denmark, Norway, Britain, and Iceland had the lowest ICT fees per head, compared to their national income.
Azerbaijan ranked 81st in the rating, which assessed a total of 159 countries. As for other CIS states, Russia was rated 48th, while Belarus 55th, Ukraine 58th, Kazakhstan 69th, Moldova 73rd, Georgia 80th, Armenia 88th, Kyrgyzstan 99th, Turkmenistan 108th, Uzbekistan 110th, and Tajikistan 111th.
The ITU also said that 22% of men and 13% of women in Azerbaijan use the Web.
The report was drawn up based on research conducted on the level of ICT development in world countries. It said that overall, ICT-related figures have improved globally and cellular communication remains the most advanced sector of world economy.*
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