December 6 – professional holiday of workers of communications and information technologies in Azerbaijan

This date was set by President Ilham Aliyev`s order dated December 2, 2006. On this day all workers of communications and information technologies celebrate their professional holiday in the country.

The celebration of the professional day just on this day is related to the establishment of the first telephone line in Azerbaijan. Thus, the first telephone line in Azerbaijan was laid in 1881 by Nobel Brothers Association.

In spite of vast amount of work done during the Soviet authority, the Republic fell behind of other republics. Only in 1969, communications sphere moved forward to development as other spheres in the country only in 1969, when the national leader came to the power.

Main development period of Azerbaijani communications began in 70-80 years of the last century. National leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev placed a special attention on this sphere in those years. It is reflected in the documents of those years.

In 1976, the capacity of Baku Telephone Network increased more than 20 times compared with in 1927 and telephone has become an integral part of every day life of Azerbaijani population.
In those years a number of spheres such as post, telegraph and TV and radio broadcasting were on the path of development. Railway Post Office in Baku, the House of Communications, telephone exchanges were built in dozens of regional centers as well as construction of over 300 post branches were built in those years.

Project for construction of 310 meter New Teletower nearby old one was approved by the commission created under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev in 1979 and construction work launched in 1981.

Through some objective and subjective reasons construction of the New Teletower was delayed, however it was built and put into service thanks to the care and attention of the national leader Heydar Aliyev who came to the power for the second time.
As Heydar Aliyev came to the power for the second time in 1993, communications sector of Azerbaijan began developing. This new sector was developing in the country, Azerbaijan`s Internet segment was expanding as well.

Several international organizations noted the rapid growth of Azerbaijan`s information communications sector in their rankings in recent years. The country was named leader in the development of this sector in the region.

In recent years growth rate in this sphere exceeded the world growth rate for several times and made on average 30%-35%. Only in current year Internet prices in Azerbaijan were reduced more than five times. Azerbaijan is going to implement a number of major regional projects to eliminate digital divide. It is TASIM, launch of national communication satellite into orbit, creation of regional innovation zone (RIZ) and other projects of great importance.

Presentation ceremony dedicated to the successful implementation of the project “Development of Financial Services” providing financial services in post offices of Azerpocht LLC of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies was held recently in Baku. Reconstruction and electronization all automatic telephone exchanges in the republic will have been completed by the end of the year. The number of broadband Internet users is increasing with every passing day.

The current rapid development of communication and information technologies in Azerbaijan was reached due to personal attention and care of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev who is successfully continuing the course of the national leader. In his speeches, the head of state repeatedly underlined the importance and priority of ICT sector.

For their part, workers of communications and information technologies sphere are making every effort to develop the ICT sector, to allow the population of the country to take advantage of opportunities of information communications technologies by offering up-to-the-minute services in the rapidly evolving digital age.


/AzerTAc/