The level of Armenia's computerization might be
higher, as ten people out of 1,000 use computers. Boris Mkrtumian, President
of the Armenian Society of Internet Users, stated in a conversation with a SNARK
correspondent that today there are over 35,000 computers in the country, 20,000
of which are connected to the World Wide Web.
Mr. Mkrtumian mentioned that Armenia lags considerably behind developed countries
in number of computers, where, on average, every third person has a computer.
At the same time Armenia exceeds India, for example, where the number is three
out of 1,000. In spite of these good dynamics, the development of information
technologies faces numerous obstacles. Mr. Mkrtumian said that the Armenian
government, having recently adopted a state program on the development of information
technology, is negotiating with the World Bank on the subject of granting credit
facilities totaling $20 million.
The high price of communication is among the serious obstacles hampering development
of information technology in the country. According to Mr. Mkrtumian, the average
cost of unlimited access to the Internet in Armenia is $50-60 USD per month.
In Europe, analogous services cost $8-15 USD.
The Armenian Society of Internet Users has a computer education center, where
200 people are studying today. In the future, they will work as network administrators
in Armenia's schools. It is planned to equip these schools with computer classrooms
to be connected to the Internet, within the framework of a U.S. government assistance
program of $1 million USD.