BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 6
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
The number of internet users in rural areas of Georgia is growing, Trend reports citing the Freedom House website.
The report said 84.5 percent of Georgians living in rural areas use internet every day, compared with 92.2 percent of those living in urban areas.
Currently 166 organizations are registered as internet providers in the country, each of which is privately owned. Two private internet providers control over two-thirds of the fixed broadband market: MagtiCom with a market share of 46 percent and Silknet with 33 percent.
Testing conducted in May 2019 shows that the average download speed for a fixed internet in Georgia was 22.1 Mbps in Georgia, lagging behind other countries in the region.
The average download speed for mobile internet connections is slightly higher - 27.6 Mbps.
Until recently, users often were disconnected from internet up to twice a month for several minutes, during which they could only access Georgian websites. With more international channels, the possibility of such disconnection has reduced.
There is practically no gender gap among Georgians who regularly use internet. However, there is a digital divide in terms of age and geography.
The younger generation is more inclined to use internet: 94.6 percent of people aged 15 to 24 use internet daily or almost daily, compared to those aged 60 or over (83 percent).
