State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and Internal Trade and Telecommunications Stefan Lazarević stated today that Serbia intends to improve modernization and economic development through the development of broadband internet.

Opening the European regional meeting on development of telecommunications, Lazarević said that all the studies that have been done to date show the great significance and impact of broadband internet on the development of the economy and society of a state.

“It is precisely for these reasons that the Ministry of Foreign and Internal Trade and Telecommunications has completed a new strategy for the development of broadband Internet and our goal is to accelerate and improve the development of broadband in Serbia using this strategy”, said Lazarević.

There is a public debate on that Strategy because, according to the State Secretary, open dialogue in the society and dialogue with the representatives of the economy are crucial for the further development of telecommunications in our country and the region.

Lazarević noted that ICT accounts for 5.5% of the GDP in Serbia. He added that in addition to broadband Internet, regulation and education of all citizens is important for the development of this sector.

The importance of the ICT sector in economic development was stressed by the Macedonian Deputy Minister of Information Society Marta Tomovska, who said that her country has invested heavily in the development of the IT sector.

She said that Macedonia is the first country in the region (South East Europe), which has digitalized its television signal, and pointed out that the first network of fourth generation mobile phone is expected in a few months.

The Director of the telecommunication Development Bureau of the ITU, Brahima Sanou said that mobile broadband access is the fastest growing segment of the market in recent years in Europe, with an annual growth rate of about 25 percent.

He said that it is expected that the share of mobile phones in relation to the population by the end of this year will equal 126%, which, as pointed out, is above the global value of 96%.

Such share value will be at par with the developed countries, where the share of mobile phones is 128%, Sanou said, adding that at the end of 2012, a total of 43 countries in the region have reached 100% or more.

From today until November 28, in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the Regional Preparatory Meeting for Europe for the World Telecommunication Development Conference will take place in preparation for the World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC 14).