The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology is an Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

i governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan

Cabinet of Azerbaijan

The Cabinet of Azerbaijan is the chief executive body of the Republic of Azerbaijan.-The Executive Power:The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the head of state....

 in charge of regulation of the communications sector and development of information technologies in the country. The ministry is headed by Ali Abbasov

Ali Abbasov

Ali Abbasov Mammad oglu is the current Minister of Communication and Information Technology of the Republic of Azerbaijan.-Early life:...

.

History

The first Ministry of Transportation, Postal Service and Telegraph of the country was established on May 28, 1918 with declaration of independence of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the first successful attempt to establish a democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world . The ADR was founded on May 28, 1918 after the collapse of the Russian Empire that began with the Russian Revolution of 1917 by Azerbaijani National Council in...

 (ADR). The first minister was Khudadat bey Malik-Aslanov

Khudadat bey Malik-Aslanov

Khudadat bey Aghabey oglu Malik-Aslanov was an Azerbaijani politician and university professor.-Early life:...

. When the second cabinet of ADR

Second cabinet of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

Second cabinet of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic governed Azerbaijan Democratic Republic between June 17, 1918 and December 7, 1918. It was formed after the first cabinet of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic dissolved and was led by Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Fatali Khan Khoyski with the following...

 convened, the government conducted administrative reforms and split the ministry into Ministry of Transportation and the new Ministry of Postal Service and Telegraph. While Malik-Aslanov remained Minister of Transportation, Agha Ashurov

Agha Ashurov

Agha Ashurov Haji Aslan oglu was an Azerbaijani statesman who served as Minister of Industry and Trade and Minister of Postal Service and Telegraph of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, and was member of Parliament of Azerbaijan.-Early years:...

 was put in charge to lead the Ministry of Postal Service and Telegraph on October 6, 1918. In three successive governments, Aslan bey Safikurdski

Aslan bey Safikurdski

Aslan bey Safikurdski Aghalar bey oglu , also known as Aslan bey Safikurdlu was an Azerbaijani statesman who served as the Minister of Labor and Justice of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and Minister of Postal Service and Telegraph of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, and was member of Azerbaijani...

, Jamo bey Hajinski

Jamo bey Hajinski

Jamo bey Hajinski Suleyman oglu was an Azerbaijani publicist, public figure and politician. He served in the first, fourth and fifth cabinets of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as its State Controller and Minister of Postal Service and Telegraph....

 and J. Ildyrym served as ministers of Postal Service and Telegraph. After establishment of Soviet rule in Azerbaijan on April 28, 1920 the ministry was transformed into Mail and Telegraph Commissariat. From the time of its inception by Soviet authorities, the communications sector was directly managed by permanent representatives of Ministry of Communications of USSR

Ministry of Communications (Soviet Union)

The Ministry of Communications of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was the central state administration body on communications in the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1991...

 in Azerbaijan up until 1953. After restoration of independence of Azerbaijan in 1991, the Ministry of Communications was re-established.

On February 24, 2004 as per the Presidential

President of Azerbaijan

The country of Azerbaijan is a presidential republic, with the President of Azerbaijan as the head of state, and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan as head of government...

 Decree of Ilham Aliyev

Ilham Aliyev

Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev is the President of Azerbaijan since 2003. He also functions as the Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party and the head of the National Olympic Committee...

 the Ministry of Communications was transformed into a bigger Ministry of Communication and Information Technologies.

Organization

The ministry is headed by the minister with two deputy ministers and one head of administration. Main functions of the ministry are formulation and implementation of single state policy in the field of communication and information technologies; regulation of activities in the field of communications and information technologies; encouraging creation of new forms of social and economic activity through massive utilization of information technologies, creation of information markets; control over utilization of the radiofrequency spectrum and maintenance of aboveground satellite communication facilities; implementation of necessary measures for meeting the demands of state bodies, municipalities, physical and juridical entities for the communication and information technologies services.
Maintaining and regulating Azərpoçt

Azərpoçt

Azərpoçt is the company responsible for postal service in Azerbaijan.Azərpoçt was founded on September 23, 1999 by the Ministry of Communication of Azerbaijan, by order "Number 151" titled "On continuation of reforms and improvement of a structure in post communication field"...

 mail and telegraph, phone communications, radio and television broadcasting

Television in Azerbaijan

Television in Azerbaijan was introduced in 1956, when Azerbaijan was still known as the Azerbaijani SSR.- List of channels :This is a list of television channels that broadcast in Azerbaijan.- State-owned :PublicPrivate...

, information technologies

Internet in Azerbaijan

-Penetration and ISPS:During the Soviet era, Azerbaijan was a major center for IT development, particularly in the area of process control systems. This legacy left the country with a reasonably large and well-developed technical infrastructure, including several research institutes and a political...

are within the duties of the ministry.

Internet is remains uncensored and free in Azerbaijan despite the government's criticism of the political opposition.