The telecommunications sector in Azerbaijan in 2005 developed high speed over the past few years and left behind other sectors of economy for the growth pace. It was a result of wider application of mobile handsets by people, fast post couriers, Internet, as well as some innovations.
In 2005 the communications enterprises provided population and economic subjects with services worth 437.2m AZN, or 36% more than 2004. Of them 24.2% was rendered to public enterprises, 75.8% - private companies, which rose 16.6% and 43.6% respectively. A total of 78.6% of all services was delivered to people.
In 2005 the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies invested 31,514m manats in the telecommunications sphere, or 12,214m manats more than the target (19.3m manats). The funds were directed at the reconstruction of the communications facilities, construction of new telephone lines in the outskirts Baku and in the regions of Azerbaijan.
In this period Aztelekom invested 16.6bn manats in the development of the communications sector, Baki Telefon Rabitasi - 10.2m manats, Teleradio 2.2bn manats and Azerpocta 1.7bn manats.
Significant rise was observed in regions: the telecommunications services in the economic zone Aran - 9.3%, Absheron 14.6%, Guba Khachmaz 13%, Shirvan 12.2%, Shaki Zakatala 14.5%, Ganja-Gazakh 12.7%, Nakhchivan - 21.3% and in Lankaran - 11.7%.
Incomes from the mobile communications comprised 304.2m manats, or 46.6% up as compared to last year. The number of mobile numbers made up 2.2m, or rose 43.6% and comprised 27 phones per 100 people.
Incomes from communications comprised 155.6m manats. The ministry said incomes from the community payments amounted to 55.2m manats. The figure exceeded 2004 figure 27.66m manats and 7.3m manats respectively.
Last year the Ministry of communications and Information Technologies put into exploitation 164,185 telephone numbers, 42,611 numbers more than 2004. The investments comprised around 158bn manats.