educational barriers remain the major reason for
these low figures, with 34 percent blaming the
high cost of computer equipment and 24.3 percent indicating a lack of necessary skills. 3
Economic reasons are particularly important,
because the cost of Internet service remains
comparatively high for the average citizen: a DSL
connection of 64/64Kbps costs around
USD40–50 per month and unlimited access
costs USD30–35, while the average salary is
slightly over USD100 per month.
The Azeri Internet population is young,
urban, and mostly male. Over 55 percent of the
users are youth in the age range of sixteen to
twenty-four, and approximately 70 percent of the
users are male. During the 1990s the official language of Azerbaijan switched from Russian to
Azeri, and the script from Cyrillic to Latin. As a
result the number of Web sites using the
Azerbaijani language increased. Azeri is used
today on all official government sites and by the
major media and general Internet population.
Legal and regulatory frameworks
Azerbaijan has made telecommunications and
the Internet national development priorities. As a
result, the state plays a leading role in the ICT
sector, with the Ministry of Telecommunications
Information Technology acting as both regulator
and operator. Most services must be licensed, 4
including Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
5
Internet provision is highly centralized on
two state-owned Internet service providers
(ISPs)—BakInterNet and AzTelecomNet—which
provide national coverage and re-sell connectivity to the remaining twenty registered ISPs.
AzerSat, a joint venture between the Ministry of
Communications and Information Technologies
and Delta Telecom Ltd, supplies international
connectivity to over 85–90 percent of all users.
Almost all ISPs use AzerSat’s Internet international gateway and only a few possess independent
international channels. The exceptions include
AzEuroTel, Adanet, AzerOnline, and the nonprofit
AZNET/AZRENA project that provides connectivity to the educational and research community
and benefits from a satellite channel provided
through NATO’s “Silk Road” project. 6
Recently the government has taken steps to
liberalize the ISP market. Mandatory state licensing for ISPs is being eliminated, and state influence over domain registration is limited. 7
From a regulatory perspective, the Internet
is treated as mass media
8
and included in the list
of telecommunications services regulated by the
2005 Law on Telecommunications. Azeri law
does not require mandatory filtering or monitoring of Internet content. However, as Web sites
that are critical of unpopular government policies
(such as increases in the cost of energy) have
emerged, the government has considered introducing a law that will impose restrictions on Web
sites with an obscene or antinational character,
thereby strengthening existing defamation laws.
Content filtering is practiced by AZNET, the education and research ISP, but is regulated by an
Accepted Usage Policy and is restricted to filtering out pornographic content. Anecdotal
accounts claim that filtering of specific Web sites
occurs, which is seemingly the result of informal
requests to ISP managers by state officials from
the Ministry of National Security, Ministry of
Communications and Information Technologies,
or the Presidency. These instances have been
infrequent, and the resulting public outcry has led
to a swift unblocking of the affected sites.
Azerbaijani law does not provide a formal
legal foundation requiring Internet surveillance.
Nevertheless, surveillance does occur, mainly by
sporadic visits of the State Security Services to
ISPs. In 2000–01 there was an unsuccessful
attempt to adopt the Russian SORM-II model for
Internet surveillance, but the project was interrupted because of financial difficulties and opposition from the ISPs and the Internet community.
Country Summaries
251
these low figures, with 34 percent blaming the
high cost of computer equipment and 24.3 percent indicating a lack of necessary skills. 3
Economic reasons are particularly important,
because the cost of Internet service remains
comparatively high for the average citizen: a DSL
connection of 64/64Kbps costs around
USD40–50 per month and unlimited access
costs USD30–35, while the average salary is
slightly over USD100 per month.
The Azeri Internet population is young,
urban, and mostly male. Over 55 percent of the
users are youth in the age range of sixteen to
twenty-four, and approximately 70 percent of the
users are male. During the 1990s the official language of Azerbaijan switched from Russian to
Azeri, and the script from Cyrillic to Latin. As a
result the number of Web sites using the
Azerbaijani language increased. Azeri is used
today on all official government sites and by the
major media and general Internet population.
Legal and regulatory frameworks
Azerbaijan has made telecommunications and
the Internet national development priorities. As a
result, the state plays a leading role in the ICT
sector, with the Ministry of Telecommunications
Information Technology acting as both regulator
and operator. Most services must be licensed, 4
including Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
5
Internet provision is highly centralized on
two state-owned Internet service providers
(ISPs)—BakInterNet and AzTelecomNet—which
provide national coverage and re-sell connectivity to the remaining twenty registered ISPs.
AzerSat, a joint venture between the Ministry of
Communications and Information Technologies
and Delta Telecom Ltd, supplies international
connectivity to over 85–90 percent of all users.
Almost all ISPs use AzerSat’s Internet international gateway and only a few possess independent
international channels. The exceptions include
AzEuroTel, Adanet, AzerOnline, and the nonprofit
AZNET/AZRENA project that provides connectivity to the educational and research community
and benefits from a satellite channel provided
through NATO’s “Silk Road” project. 6
Recently the government has taken steps to
liberalize the ISP market. Mandatory state licensing for ISPs is being eliminated, and state influence over domain registration is limited. 7
From a regulatory perspective, the Internet
is treated as mass media
8
and included in the list
of telecommunications services regulated by the
2005 Law on Telecommunications. Azeri law
does not require mandatory filtering or monitoring of Internet content. However, as Web sites
that are critical of unpopular government policies
(such as increases in the cost of energy) have
emerged, the government has considered introducing a law that will impose restrictions on Web
sites with an obscene or antinational character,
thereby strengthening existing defamation laws.
Content filtering is practiced by AZNET, the education and research ISP, but is regulated by an
Accepted Usage Policy and is restricted to filtering out pornographic content. Anecdotal
accounts claim that filtering of specific Web sites
occurs, which is seemingly the result of informal
requests to ISP managers by state officials from
the Ministry of National Security, Ministry of
Communications and Information Technologies,
or the Presidency. These instances have been
infrequent, and the resulting public outcry has led
to a swift unblocking of the affected sites.
Azerbaijani law does not provide a formal
legal foundation requiring Internet surveillance.
Nevertheless, surveillance does occur, mainly by
sporadic visits of the State Security Services to
ISPs. In 2000–01 there was an unsuccessful
attempt to adopt the Russian SORM-II model for
Internet surveillance, but the project was interrupted because of financial difficulties and opposition from the ISPs and the Internet community.
Country Summaries
251