Azernews.Az

BAKU – $1.5 billion has been invested in Azerbaijan`s information technologies sector in the past six years, including 21 percent foreign investment, the country’s deputy communications minister has said.

Elmir Valizada told an investment summit in Baku on Thursday that Azerbaijan’s ITC sector has expanded five-fold in recent years, with average annual growth amounting to 30-35 pct.

"Despite the global economic and financial crisis, the growth dynamics was maintained in 2009 and the increase made up 13.7 pct. In 2010, the growth constituted 32.1 pct. As a result of creating a proper competitive environment, the share of the private sector increased to 80.3 pct from 70.7 pct."

According to Valizada, the penetration level of cellular communication has reached 100 pct in Azerbaijan. Also, the third-generation (3G) standard was introduced in the country’s cellular network in 2009.

Internet penetration has now reached 50 pct, with 15 pct of the people being users of brodband Internet, he said.

Valizada said computers made in Azerbaijan are exported to other countries in the region.

He also noted that work on supplying schools with computers is drawing to a close, with 30 percent of the schools now using high-speed Internet.