7 December 2021 15:51 (UTC+04:00)
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By Ayya Lmahamad
As technologies in the world are developing, computers are being easier to be accessed by users. The utilization of smartphones is increasing, and people around the world have been given the opportunity to use the internet more frequently and more conveniently.
According to Internet Live Stats, around 40 percent of the world’s population are internet users.
Over the past years, Azerbaijan has made great progress in broadband internet infrastructure development and its application in all areas of society.
Azerbaijan joined the Internet community in 1991 and was one of the first countries of the former Soviet Union to enter the internet community (Intrans provider). The first internet media in the country appeared in 1996.
The first Azerbaijani sites appeared at the end of the XX century, and today there are thousands of them.
There are two state-owned internet service providers in Azerbaijan – Aztelecom and Bakinternet. In total, more than 40 internet providers operate in the country.
In 2004, the Coordination Council for Internet Development was created under the Digital Development and Transport Ministry. The main task of the council is to promote the development of the internet in the country.
The Coordination Council controls the registration of domain names, provides scientific and methodological assistance to the employees of this sphere. In addition, the council carries out its activities taking into account the recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union, ICANN, IANA, and other organizations.
In the past 10 years, the number of internet users rose to 80 percent, the rate of broadband internet users to 75 percent, and the rate of household users to 78 percent.
Ninety-five percent of rural telephone stations have already been provided with fiber optic cable connections. Half of the country’s telephone system is reconstructed based on cutting-edge NGN (next-generation networks) technologies, which enable users to benefit from a single line for a phone connection, high-speed internet and IP TV (Internet Protocol television).
Moreover, GPON (Gigabit Ethernet passive optical network) technologies-based high-quality internet service is being provided in the capital and other big cities in the country.
Internet World Statistics reported that as of January 31, 2021, the internet penetration rate was 78.8 percent in Azerbaijan. The number of internet users in the country is about 8 million people.
According to the report statistics, Azerbaijan is leading in terms of internet penetration among the countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Second in the list comes Kazakhstan with 78.1 percent and third Armenia with 71.8 percent.
As of 2020, the coverage of the 3G mobile network in Azerbaijan was 97.6 percent, and the coverage of the 4G mobile network was 93 percent.
Moreover, as of August 2021, the average download speed in the country for broadband Internet was 25.36 Mbit/sec, for mobile Internet was 39.25 Mbit/sec. The outgoing speed for mobile Internet was 14.83 Mbit/sec.
Nowadays, the internet is something that humans cannot function without anymore. It has occupied a great part of everyone’s lives and made our lives easier and convenient.
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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
