Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

The Communications and High Technologies Ministry is working to upgrade its activity.

This was announced by Deputy Minister for Communications and High Technologies Elmir Velizade on December 1, at a press conference on the opening of the 21st International Telecommunications Exhibition BakuTel-2015.

Velizade said that Ramin Guluzade, the newly appointed First Deputy Minister for Communications and High Technologies, is also acting minister on the presidential order.

“In this regard, the ministry carries out relevant work for the operation of the agency at a higher level,” he noted.

Guluzade, who previously headed the department at the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, was appointed the first deputy minister on November 25.

Internet coverage

Velizade further said that capacity of AzNET completely covers the current needs of end-users of the Internet in Azerbaijan.

The volume of Internet traffic coming to Azerbaijan is up to 500 gigabits, he said. Global access to international channels is provided by two operators – Delta Telecom and Azertelekom, and about 180 gigabits is used of the total volume of traffic imported into the country.

“Capacities of AzNET are completely cover the current needs of the end users of Internet. As for speeds, delivered to the end user, this issue should be approached comprehensively, as the reasons may be different, ranging from the quality of communication and ending modems of users,” he added.

Commenting on the new index of information and communication technologies by the International Telecommunication Union, where Azerbaijan took the 67th place in the world, he said Azerbaijan is a leader in the South Caucasus region in terms of Internet use, the speed that end users get, mobile access, and a number of other indicators.

“Azerbaijan does not intend to rest on its laurels and will take the necessary steps for the further development of the Internet. Currently, work is underway on the implementation of the program of development of broadband Internet,” he stressed. “I believe that the steps taken today to improve the quality of the Internet, increasing the sustainability and alternative access, allow to provide even better services soon.”

Space industry

Speaking about Azerbaijan's space industry, Velizade said that French Arianespace company will launch Azerbaijan’s second telecommunication satellite Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 into orbit.

He said that Arianespace Company has won tender of Azerbaijan’s satellite operator Azercosmos to launch the second telecommunication satellite into orbit.

“The first Azerbaijani satellite was also launched into orbit by Arianespace Company,” he said. “We expect that Azercosmos will sign another contract with this company."

The satellite is expected to be launched into orbit in 2017.

The satellite will be located at the 45 degrees east orbital location leased by the Azerbaijani side from the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization Intelsat which is the leaseholder of 45.9 percent of the satellite’s resources. The service area of Azerspace-2 will cover Europe, South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa.

The satellite will be constructed by a subsidiary of Canadian MDA corporation - Space Systems Loral, that will also supply the equipment for the ground control station.

Azerbaijan’s annual telecommunications and information technologies exhibition Bakutel this year will open its doors on December 2-5.

Bakutel is the largest exhibition in the region, that bring together leading players of the communications market for the 21^st year this time. As the main arena for presenting IT products and services, Bakutel has acquired status as the main business platform where contacts are made and new businesses are created.

The exhibition is supported by Communications and High Technologies Ministry as well as such international industry institutions as the UN, the International Telecommunication Union, the Regional Commonwealth in the Sphere of Communication, etc.

Around 200 companies from Azerbaijan, Russia, France, America and other countries will participate at the exhibition this year.

__

Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz