Minister: Azerbaijan investing in infrastructure to address digital divide

Azerbaijan continues to invest in infrastructure projects to solve the problem of the digital divide.

Digital Development and Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev stated this at the international conference GSMA M360 EURASIA 2023 in Baku on May 16, Report informs.

According to him, in order to resolve the situation it is necessary to provide the right infrastructure and cybersecurity and develop human resources.

"We, as a country, take this problem quite seriously and perform the necessary tasks. By the end of 2024, we expect to provide all households with the Internet. In this regard, infrastructure is an important part of our work," he said.

The Minister stressed that issues of cyber security and digital development are on the agenda of the Azerbaijani government.

Nabiyev also noted the importance of today's event in Baku: "Because of Covid-19 a clear gap between different geographical segments began to appear. In this regard, this event is very important, as its theme reflects the aspirations of the governments of the world, which many are trying to realize. It becomes very meaningful for building a more sustainable community, not only in our region but around the world.

Addressing the event, Deputy Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Tomas Lamanauskas said that Azerbaijan is taking progressive steps in the field of digitalization, according to Report.

"The installation of high-speed communication line on the Caspian Sea bottom is continuing successfully and I was a witness of it myself. Along with digitalization, we need to understand the importance of cyber security. According to the latest statistics, cyber-attacks have caused $37 trillion in damages in various countries. The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has changed the way people live, increasing their access to online resources. After the pandemic, the use of computers by people has increased by 60 per cent", he noted.

Tomas Lamanauskas noted that the structure he represents implements a number of projects for the development of digitalization in 20 countries.