INFORMATIZATION AND COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT TRENDS IN ARMENIA PRESENTED BY HOVHANNES STEPANYAN CHIEF SPECIALIST OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS AND PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
Republic of Armenia Territory: 29.740 square kilometers Population: 3.210.000 Capital city: Yerevan Geographic location: lies in a triangular section of the Trans-Caucasus. Neighboring countries: in the North: Georgia; in the East: Azerbaijan; in the South: Iran; in the South-West: Nakhijevan (Azerbaijan); in the West: Turkey., bordered by Average altitude above the sea level is 1800 meters
GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR ICT SECTOR IN ARMENIA Ministry of Transport and Communication www.mtc.am Is in charge for developing and executing state policy in the fields of telecommunication and informatization in Armenia. It supports the creation of sound market environment in the field of telecommunication, ensures the progress and implementation of perspective projects in these fields. Ministry of Economy Is in charge for implementing the economic policy in Armenia. It supports the investments in innovative undertakings, improves the business environments, organizes various fairs and exhibitions, strongly cooperates and supports the IT industry of Armenia, promotes export and regional cooperation. www.mineconomy.am Public Services Regulatory Commission www.psrc.am Is responsible for licensing of activities, defining the orders of licensing and supervising the licensed operations dealing with electronic communication and radio-frequency usage, defining tariffs for regulated services, setting requirements for service sector, examining the development-investment plans of licensed companies, for approving or rejecting the modified pricing policy
THE ROLE OF ICT IN THE LIFE OF THE SOCEITY The development of ICT contributes to the creation of significantly improved and efficient information systems, resulting in Artificial Intelligence. The development of ICT contributes to the development of all branches of the national economy. Ensuring the access of a country s population towards ICT based state of the art services, thus creating information society.
THE CONCEPT OF FORMING INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA Implementation of the E-Government Electronic document circulation among governmental entities is an example among many initiatives, establishment of the website www.e-gov.am for creating one-window approach for all governmental internetgovernance based tools, etc. Implementation of electronic identification cards Implementation of E-passports with biometric data Implementation and beta-testing of the digital television network in Armenia
PILOT PROJECT COMPUTER FOR ALL Local assembly of computers with imported components Self-repayment of the project In the frameworks of the pilot project around 3400 computers are realized Credit for two years, monthly payments of 30-70 USD
IN THE PROCESS OF ELABORATION Concept of developing and providing access to Internet services Creation of national broadband telecommunication network Legislative improvements for supporting ICT development
BROADBAND NETWORK The existing problems of providing access urge the necessity of creating the network Choice between technical solutions wired, wireless, combined Choice of the form for network management private, state, mixed form
BROADBAND NETWORK ACCESS IN ARMENIA AT PRESENT CONDITION Company Number of connected households (DSL) Number of 3G users Approximate cost for 2 Mbits/sec in USD 1 Armentel (Brand Beeline) 50 000 N/A 40 2 K-Telecom (Brand MTS) 20000 20 (1 GB quota, after which the speed rate drops to 128 Kbit/sec) 3 Orange (France-Telecom) 20000 20 (1 GB quota, after which the speed rate drops to 128 Kbit/sec) 4 Other operators providing broadband access (Fiber To The Home, WiMAX, WiFi, etc.) 10000-10-100 Total users 100000 40000
STRATEGIES OF OPERATORS PROVIDING BROADBAND NETWORK SERVICES Armentel development of DSL network access, IPTV VivaCell development of 4G Orange development of 4G Other operators WiMax, FTTH, FTTH PON, Consumer and operator Wireless internet service is in demand with the consumers 3G is competitive with DSL at the access capacity of providing 2 Mbits/sec in the conditions of Armenia In order to ensure wide access capacity the operator needs wired infrastructure
CONSUMER AND OPERATOR Wireless internet the service is in demand with the consumer 3G is competitive with DSL at the access capacity of providing 2 Mbits/sec In order to ensure wide access capacity the operator needs branched wired-fiber optic-infrastructure providing connection between Base Stations
PROJECT OF NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK Design basics broadband fiber optic network throughout the country Network owner both private and public There are negotiations about funding from international financial institutions
SUGGESTED SCENARIOS 1000 access points 100 million USD 1300 access points 110 million USD 3400 access points 210 million USD
NETWORK USAGE Providing the acting operators to establish connection between BS with practically unlimited access capacity Attracting new operators Ensuring the access of TV content information for all inhabited settlements
Now speaking about some legislative undertakings by the Ministry of Transport and Communication of the Republic of Armenia in the field of electronic communication that are foreseen for the year of 2011
Elaboration of the draft law on Making changes and amendments to the existing Armenian law on electronic communication The elaboration of the present draft law is urged by the necessity to completely meet the demands of the provisions in Article 4 of the Law on electronic communication and these amendments will contribute for conducting technical supervision while installing electronic communication infrastructures and facilities, as well as will assure the duly compliance with the technical norms defined for their exploitation.
Elaboration of the Government draft decision on Setting the regulations for radio communication equipment usage control The adoption of these regulations will allow to regulate the process of radio communication equipment usage control and will become basis for the Republican Telecommunication Center SNCO to conduct such inspections and issue technical conclusion.
Elaboration of the Government draft decision on Setting the regulations for exploitation and management of electronic communication networks during emergency situations and state of martial law The adoption of these rules will allow to regulate the legal relations between the competent body, which is the Ministry of Transport and Communication of Armenia, and the owners of electronic communication networks during emergency situations and state of martial law.
Elaboration of the Government draft decision on Defining the rules for building, importing and lightening radio frequency receiving facilities The adoption of these regulations will allow to regulate the building, importing and lighting works of the radio frequency receiving facilities in accordance with the relevant technical norms and standards.
Elaboration of the draft law on Technical supervision in the sector of electronic communication The adoption of this law will regulate the problems related to the exploitation of the existing communication, computer information, radio and television broadcasting systems. The adoption and implementation of the draft law will ensure the safety and security of the exploitation of the electronic communication systems in the territory of the Republic of Armenia, as well as will secure their continued operability and reliability.
Drafting Government Decree on Establishing the requirements for the official websites of state entities in the internet network The main purpose of this decision is to define the following: a) the unified requirements of technical and organizational matters; b) the unified mechanisms to ensure the security of the official websites; c) the general requirements to the content and format to be placed on the official websites.
Drafting Government Decree on Establishing the regulations for providing services of data transfer The main purpose of this decision is to define the following: a) the technical and technological requirements for providing data transferring services; b) the commitments and rights of the service providers and consumers; c) the requirements for protecting information and privacy during data transfer.
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