We need a concept for the development of the transport and communications sector

- In government reports, the industry communication sector is characterized as the most advanced and knowledge-based industry. What is your opinion on the state of telecommunications in the country?

- The events of the autumn of 2015 in the Ministry of Communications - the arrests of the ministry's leaders for involvement in the blackmail of businessmen - threw back the communications sector for years and became the logical end of neglecting the truth that it is impossible to manage industries without professionals, continuity and concept. Communication, like transport, is a very strategic sphere for the state, especially now, with the digitalization of the communications sector being completed, when the whole country is visible from everywhere, as in the palm of your hand. That is why the unification of a new integrated transport and communications industry, the solution of a number of urgent tasks of inventorying existing facilities, expertise, technical audit and compatibility of all applied network solutions of the new branch in Azerbaijan is required.

- Is there real progress in the telecommunications of Azerbaijan?

- The level of development of industries is usually not estimated by the fact that ready-made technologies are bought, somewhere even at exorbitant prices, but by the country's ability to produce the new technological devices required by it. A system of training of scientific and technical personnel of Azerbaijan, the presence of joint international manufacturers and telecommunications operators are required, otherwise everything can happen both with Bakteleqraf and Azeurotel. Apparently, it is unproductive to pump out revenues from the industry, and it is necessary to think about generating scientific potential for technical continuity. And the creation of the University of Transport and Communications of Azerbaijan as an industry institute would help us in the preparation of the required specialists capable of leading us out of the impasse. After all, the use of "information technologies" is not a merit (we do not create them), but financial interest of foreign producers interested in extracting money from Azerbaijan.

- What is required for a normal market economy in the country?

- Market economy will work qualitatively only if there is a real alternative and competition. Even our technological communication sector, where intellect and professionalism were always appreciated in the staff, apparently was to some extent given to "notorious marketers". It is necessary to switch to "time-based payment" for communication services (as in Europe), with the replacement of subscriber payment systems. In fact, we have transferred the same utilities (gas, water and electricity) to meters, and why should this not take place in telecommunications with this level of computerization? Then tariffs for communication services would decrease - now they are almost the most expensive ones among 11 CIS countries. Why do we not give the people cheap long-distance, international and Internet services, as Belarus does with its territory 2.4 times bigger than ours and with the same population? Unfortunately, we do not have domestic production in telecommunications; therefore Azerbaijan is heavily dependent on imports. Apparently, the government decided that it is easier to procure than to produce or to create its own production infrastructure. In the sale and purchase there are known corruption advantages, which we call "caps". Any production requires its rules of the game, and most importantly, competition and alternatives, which is the first enemy of the vicious system. It is worth noting that government officials who are not interested in competition hamper the process of developing the necessary projects. They themselves want to get the necessary state orders, which is the reason for the increase in the cost price in the country.

- How do you assess privatization in the telecommunications sector of Azerbaijan?

- Privatization is effective in the presence of an alternative, competition and feasibility study. The aspirations of multimillion communication consumers are required. After all, before the shameful purge of the fall of 2015 in the communications sector there were rumors that the owners of telecommunications in the country were almost determined. Apparently, these were convicted heads of enterprises. Therefore, the following is required:

• An open decision on the timing of the beginning and end of privatization in the industry;

• Branch commissions on privatization, acting not "on orders from above";

• Open competitions, also among foreign investors.

It is necessary to get rid of officials" "control" over state enterprises, and most importantly, to ensure that it does not turn out that the owner of multi-billion good is determined in advance somewhere, according to the "scenario." Independent regulators of industries (outside state structures), liberalization and demonopolization are required, and all this only at the end of privatization. It is unacceptable that each state structure in its own way solves the issue of privatization; then the next new structure will also begin to reconstruct the previous decisions in its favor. The question is to what extent the previous privatization works in the country were fair and if they will not be re-privatized.

- You share your proposals, as an expert in the field of telecommunications, with the media. What is the response?

- Earlier it was impossible to think that my performances in the press are ignored and they are not reacted at the top. In 2016, I published 15 articles in the media. Today, apparently, for those "above" all this is not interesting. Nevertheless, one must not remain silent. I do not want to see our generation of Azerbaijani communication workers accusing us of ordinary cowardice, silence at the sight of current processes in the communications sector. After all, digital telecommunications and the media become so united that any event at any end of the Earth becomes the property of the whole world with all its details, and every new digital technology developed at any end of the world becomes available for a short time in any country, regardless of its development level.

- Was the unification of three different branches - communication, high technologies and transport - in the same ministry a right step?

- The question is different: why is this additive "high technology" in the ministry"s name? After all, the definition of "high technology", added to our industry, cannot be unique only for the sphere of communication. High technology is needed everywhere - in health care, education, defense. Digital technology alone does not guarantee the development of democracy and transparency in the country. Apparently, in conditions of authoritarian regimes, the creation of a database about each person carries a certain danger of privacy and human rights in the country, and especially in the processes of elections, referendums and struggle with dissenters in the media. Therefore, appointments to high positions require the consideration of professional continuity, rather than nepotism or merit to someone.

You cannot turn the industry into a polygon of "paper projects", where millions of dollars are wasted after years. AzerSpace cost the country $ 200 million (according to other sources, even more). The forecast of payback was predicted 5 years from the first launch of the satellite in 2013. And today they say that "Azerbaijan's revenues from the operation of AzerSpace-1 satellite amounted to $ 90 million." Where is its payback?

We need a concept for the development of the transport and communications sector, but who will monitor the world's trends in order to keep up with the technological innovations when there are no branch scientific institutes of transport and communication in Azerbaijan? Even the President's decree on the establishment of the ICT University did not come true.

- What should be the initial steps for the development of the new industry in Azerbaijan?

- The steps of developing a new industry can be described by the following algorithm:

1. Integration of all means of telecommunications, transport and communications in a single technological institute for transparency, efficiency and sustainable development of the new industry;

2. Management of the transport and communication industry by a non-state regulator (outside state structures), for transparency and alternative to the Ministry;

3. Creation of dedicated communication networks on the territory of the country by any physical and legal entities of Azerbaijan to provide an alternative and competition in this field;

4. Improvement of the quality of the last mile (the weakest link in telecommunications) in the regions of the country, with the increase in reliability of communication facilities in the countryside;

5. Exclusion of the notorious "dummy projects" in the industries...