Azerbaijan, Baku, 2 May / Trend H.Valiyev /
Implementation of the project to develop broadband Internet in Azerbaijan will cover the period of 2013-2017, the Minister of Communications and Information Technologies Ali Abbasov said on Thursday. Previously, the project was to be completed by 2015.
According to the minister, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan has allocated $103 million manat for the project this year. Funding will also be provided in the coming years, Abbasov said.
All areas of Azerbaijan will be provided with high-speed access to the Internet by 2017, the Minister said.
Commenting on the question as to the development of digital content in Azerbaijan, Abbasov said the increase in the number of users of electronic signatures contributes to its development.
The minister said to date, the number of electronic signatures issued by the certification centre has reached 12,000. This is a low figure for a population of nine million.
The use of digital signatures will spur the development of e-services and in particular electronic commerce, as well as simplify the procedure for issuance of official documents, he said.
Abbasov noted that by the end of the year, the ministry intends to continue the development of the e-government project in the country, commission a new ground satellite station to monitor the earth's surface and complete the full transition to digital broadcasting.