Jalil Jafarov, the Director of the Centre for International Relations and Calculations of the Azerbaijan Telecommunication and IT Ministry, informed Trend that the Georgian United Telecommunication Company dismantling the fiber-optic cable which belongs to Fobnet will have no impact on the quality of the work of the Internet in Azerbaijan. According to him, Azerbaijan has its own alternative channels that can be used in case of necessity. These are the channels in the northern direction вЂ" via Russia and further to Europe, he said. Georgian United Telecommunication Company intends to dismantle the cable which is in its cable channels. The cable was laid via the ground of the Black Sea вЂ" from Novorossiysk to Poti and further via Georgia to Armenia and Azerbaijan. The owners of the cable are Russian Rostelekom and Georgian Akhali Kselebi. United Telecommunication Company, is owned by Kazakhstan investors. It requires payment for placing a cable in its channels, which is 20 times higher than the tariff it currently provides.
According to the existing tariff, the payment for 1 km will be 34 Laris. United Telecommunication Company is guided by the order of the Georgian National Telecommunication Committee and warns that it may take radical steps. This threat concerns Akhali Kselebi and Akhtel where cables are placed in the channels. Iva Martiashvili, the Financial Director of United Telecommunication Company, said that the dismantling the cables will to a certain extent stiffen the work of the internal and external operators, including Azerbaijan and Armenia. We have no option, as we are a private company and we may take radical measures toward any other operators, said Mr. Martiashvili.