Azerbaijan, Lankaran, 30 March / Trend corr P. Aliyeva, S. Babayeva/ The Azerbaijani Communications and IT Ministry plans to implement the pilot project People's Computer in one of the country's regions by the end of the year, Rufat Gulmammadov, the head of the Department for Development of Informational Society at the Communications Ministry, said to journalists in Lankaran on 29 March.
The core of the project is to provide the underprivileged Azerbaijani population with computers through long-term credit and at a low interest rate.
For implementation of the project a special working group consisting of the specialist of several ministries, Intel and Microsoft companies was established at the Ministry.
At the recent meeting of the working group (14 March) Microsoft and Intel submitted for consideration the initial estimations of implementation of the project. Azerbaijan developed the mechanisms for implementation of the project.
The next meting of the working group on the People's Computer project is scheduled for the end of April. Gulmammadov did not divulge in which region the pilot project will be implemented because the issue should be first discussed with the working group.
Microsoft will provide licensed software and Intel adequate hardware at privileged basis.
The project is intended for 3 years and its total cost has not been defined as yet. Its key purpose is to offer computers at the lowest prices. There are plans to purchase 10,000 computers this year as a pilot project.
According to the Communications Ministry's approximate calculations, for every 100 people in Azerbaijan there are 3-4 computers provided. Should the project be successful, the number of computers will be increased to more than 5 computers per every 100 people.