Development of communications in the republic sharply declined in the years of 1985-1993, because of reasons which were known to everybody.
II stage started in the development of national communication of Azerbaijan due to direct care and attention by Heydar Aliyev who was elected President of the country in 1993.Due to wise policy of the leader of the country foreign investors were involved in the country, a real turn started in the development of communications.
From 1993 foreign communication companies such as Teletash and Netash of Turkey installed modern electronic ATEs in Baku, Sumgayit, Ganja cities and other regions, International Phone Station with 2000 channels was installed in Aztelecom PA, Republican intercity telephone station with 6150 channels, Bakcell providing cellular communication system due to the funds of Motorola, Azercell with Turkish communications companies and other joint ventures were created.
All this was new stage of development of communication in Azerbaijan thanks to the care and attention of Heydar Aliyev.
It is not by accident that country public and press called 1998 the year of turn in communication, year of technical revolution. In those years ATEs with 108,000 numbers were commissioned in the republic.
In 1998-2003 modern ATEs 40/41, 30/31, 50, 54, 56, 21/22, 27, 32 in Baku, as well in Ganja, Mingechevir, Barda, Yevlakh, Guba, Gusar, Devechi, Sheki, Gakh, Oghuz, Lankaran and other regions were built and commissioned, Nakhchivan AR was fully supplied with telephones, all settlements in Azerbaijan were supplied with 1 phone at least.
Due to the work done in 1993-2003 48.4% of telephone network of the country and 100% of telephone system of Nakhchivan AR were provided with electronic system, number of main telephone that was 611,5,000 in 1991 was increased up to 1 million, the republic joined Trans-Asia-Europe cable highway, all Baku villages and settlements, settlements in all regions were provided with telephones, all areas of the country have access to the Internet, 80% of communication among stations in telephone communication system was organized in digital form.
The approval of the order on the “National Strategy on information communication technologies for the sake of development of Azerbaijan Republic (2003-2012)” by national leader Heydar Aliyev on February 17, 2003 was one of the most important steps taken in the direction of the development of communication in Azerbaijan in 1993-2003 and at present policy being realized in the country was built just on this strategy.
