Azerbaijan, Baku, March 3 / Trend E.Ismayilov /
The preparation of the concept of broadband Internet access will be completed in Azerbaijan in April-May of this year, Azerbaijani Deputy Communications and IT Minister Elmir Velizade said today.
The ministry works on preparations for the concept of broadband Internet access , he added.
Regarding the issue of tariff reductions on the Internet in Azerbaijan, Velizade noted that the lowering of tariffs associated with an increased number of users, as well as with the expansion of services.
Earlier, Azerbaijani Internet service provider Azerin won a quotation to create a concept for the development of broadband Internet in the country for 2011-2013.
The new concept will enhance the possibility of using broadband Internet and make it more accessible for end-users.
The concept envisages increasing the number of ports of broadband Internet in the telecommunications nodes, reducing tariffs, increasing the number of proposed tariff plans, developing the infrastructure for multimedia services and the expansion of content services (banking services, e-commerce.).
According to statistics of the Communications IT Ministry, the penetration rate of broadband Internet in the country was 12 percent in late 2010. According to the ministry, in 2011, growth in the broadband market will be approximately 40 percent.
Over the past year and a half on the Internet, tariffs in Azerbaijan were reduced by eight or nine times and today the average price of connection to the ADSL service at speeds of one Mbps is 20 manat.