article on technology for better life
Answers
In recent years, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s electronic communications
sector has undergone a remarkable transformation. On one hand, it has
heavily invested in the reconstruction, maintenance and expansion of
communications networks while, on the other hand, it has prepared for
the liberalization process. The electronic communication sector refers
to broadcasting and distribution of TV programmes and telecommunications
as converged markets. Considering that Bosnia and Herzegovina has been
severely damaged by the turbulence of the war here which ended in 1995,
the global technological revolution did have an effect, though on a
smaller scale compared with the developed countries, on Bosnia and
Herzegovina, but still comparable with other countries in the Region.
The Communications Regulatory Agency was established to introduce and
maintain healthy competition in all segments of electronic
communications and to regulate the country’s complex market in
accordance with principles of transparency, fairness. It was conceived
as an organ independent from political influence, which tends to be
quite strong in any country in transition. Since it was established in
2001, the Agency has made commendable inroads in implementing a workable
state-wide regime for electronic communications in Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Undoubtedly, the coming period is going to be a challenging
one for the regulator, since the effectiveness of the regulations
issued will be tested in the market. Three fixed and three mobile
operators provide Bosnia and Herzegovina’s communication services. In
addition, 15 alternative operators offer Fixed Public Telephony
Services, and 75 operators are licensed to provide network services, of
which 55 providers are licensed for Cable TV distribution; there are
also 198 radio and TV stations. The penetration rate for fixed telephony
is around 41 per cent of the population, while the penetration of GSM
mobile subscribers exceeds 60 per cent. With the penetration of
approximately 25.5 fixed lines per 100 inhabitants, Bosnia and
Herzegovina is in line with the South-Eastern Europe (SEE) average.
During the past four years, the digitalization rate of fixed networks in
Bosnia and Herzegovina increased from 85 per cent to 98 per cent.
Although the Internet penetration rate in Bosnia and Herzegovina is
still relatively low (27.25 per cent in 2007), there are 60 licensed
Internet service providers. Dial-up Internet access predominates; 69 per
cent of all Internet subscribers use it. Approximately 33 per cent of
all Internet subscribers have broadband service. ADSL provides broadband
Internet access for 13.7 per cent of the subscribers, and cable
Internet subscribers account for 10.7 per cent. In line with the
International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) definition, according to
which an Internet user is any person from 16 to 74 years old that uses
the Internet during a given year, the Agency estimates that there are
1,055,000 Internet users in Bosnia and Herzegovina; the country has a
total of 4,000,000 inhabitants
may this answer help you