Natalia Mochu: Azerbaijan has significantly improved data collection in ICT sector

Azerbaijan has made significant progress in enhancing its data collection system in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT), Natalia Mochu, Regional Director of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said at an event of the Online Azerbaijan project, according to Report.

"In 2022–2023, in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan, efforts were made to improve data collection and transmission processes in line with UN international standards. We hope that this project will enable Azerbaijan to provide even higher-quality data," she stated.

Mochu highlighted that young people are the most active internet users. Globally, an estimated 79% of individuals aged 15–24 use the internet, which is 13 percentage points higher than the rest of the population.

"In Azerbaijan, these figures are even higher. 88.2% of young people (15–24 years old) use the internet, while among the 25–74 age group, this figure reaches 91.2%. Although internet access is becoming more affordable worldwide, pricing remains a challenge," she added.

She also pointed out that in low-income countries, the cost of fixed broadband internet is nearly one-third of the average monthly income (33%).

"In contrast, Azerbaijan has more favorable indicators. The minimum consumer mobile package costs just 1.14% of the country's Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, while fixed broadband costs 1.34%. For comparison, the UN-recommended threshold is 2% of GNI. We are pleased to see that Azerbaijan's figures are well below this threshold, making the internet more accessible," the ITU Regional Director emphasized.