Are the prices of mobile communication in Azerbaijan suitable for the population's standard of living? What is the international experience?
Elvin Abbasov, chairman of the Azerbaijan Information and Communication Technologies Industry Association, Medianews.az stated in an interview that the suitability of mobile communication tariffs to the standard of living in Azerbaijan is characterized by different aspects both in terms of current prices and the purchasing power of citizens: "According to international standards, it is desirable that communication expenses do not exceed two percent of monthly income. Although the packages offered for citizens with an average monthly income in our country correspond to this framework, for persons with income at the subsistence level, communication expenses take up more space in the budget. This also shows the importance of considering social sensitivity in tariff policy to ensure equal accessibility of digital services for everyone."
E. Abbasov noted that international experience focuses not only on the nominal price of the service but also on the volume and quality of data provided in return for the amount paid: "Although Azerbaijan ranks among the more affordable regions globally for mobile internet prices in many global reports, a healthy balance between the need for infrastructure renewal and the citizen's payment capacity is targeted. From this perspective, optimizing the cost per unit of data during the implementation of high-speed technologies can both facilitate the development of providers and make services more affordable for various segments of the population."
Nailə Qasımova,
Medianews.az