Tbilisi (GBC) - Eka Kubusidze, the Head of the Department of Communications, Information and Modern Technologies of the Ministry of Economy of Georgia, on Friday discussed initiatives aimed at integrating the country with the digital market of the European Union, initiatives for digital transformation in the country and upcoming projects in a meeting organised by the Georgian Telecommunications Operators Association.
Kubusidze told the meeting, which also included Mariam Sulaberidze, the Director of Open Net - an organisation that creates neutral fibre-optic infrastructure in the regions - “[e]liminating digital inequality and promoting digital transformation” were “top priorities” for the Government.
“The Ministry of Economy has been implementing programmes and projects to ensure maximum internet access in rural areas and actively involve the population in the digital ecosystem”, she said.
Officials from the Ministry and Open Net told telecommunication businesses about the optical fibre infrastructure built as part of the state internetisation project, its progress and future development plans.
The Ministry said one of the highlights of the meeting was a presentation of the Rural Empowerment Through Digital Involvement project, funded by the EU Development Cooperation Programme and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland.
This project aims to bridge the digital development gap between villages and cities in Georgia by enhancing communication infrastructure and improving digital literacy.
The meeting also discussed challenges faced by the companies.