Development issues of national telecommunications market discussed at meeting with President

The Internet of Things, modernization of cellular communication systems and key points of growth in high technology were discussed today at the meeting with the Head of State devoted to the development of the national telecommunications market.

This is one of the most promising sectors of the Belarusian economy and the fastest growing industry. In less than ten years, its share in the country's GDP has almost doubled to five percent. It is also a huge labor market that employs about 100,000 people. The President also noted an important feature for Belarus: the high-tech segment of the economy does not require a tangible oil and gas foundation. This puts telecommunications among the priority areas of development. Moreover, the demand for individual services is already ahead of supply. Concrete steps forward are needed now.

Opportunities for investors who are interested in the Belarusian ICT sector were discussed at the meeting, as well as the price regulation of this market. First of all, the President was interested in the cost of services for the population. In turn, the First Deputy Prime Minister announced the full coverage of 4G networks and the development of communications of the fifth generation. Now services in the 4G standard are available to about 75 percent of the population of Belarus.

Now Belarus occupies the 32nd place in the Information and Communication Technologies Development Index. Our country is included in the group of countries with a high level of development of the relevant infrastructure, ahead of all partners in the CIS, at the level of Italy, Portugal and the Czech Republic. The rating of the International Telecommunication Union takes into account a complex of key factors, such as the quality and availability of the Internet, the development of cable television and mobile networks.