OREANDA-NEWS  On 18 December was announced, that during the first 11 months of 2009, the number of permanent broadband Internet connections provided by Lattelecom in Latvia increased by 22% in comparison to the same period in 2007, with 180,300 connections in all, according to company statistics. The greatest growth was registered in the Jekabpils District, where the number of Lattelecom broadband Internet users increased by 37% during the stated period in time. Statistics show that in October and November in particular, the increase in connection numbers was facilitated by the desire of people to hook up Lattelecom TV.
 
The largest number of permanent Internet connections provided by Lattelecom on November 30 of this year was found in Riga, the Riga District and Jurmala – 82,300, or 21% more than in the previous year. Elsewhere, the largest numbers of users are found in the city and district of Jelgava (nearly 11,000 connections), followed by the Daugavpils District and the Liepaja District, with 9,000 and 8,600 connections respectively.
 
It is in Latvia’s regions that one finds the greatest increase in Lattelecom Internet service users. This is particularly true in the Jekabpils District, where the number of Internet connections on November 30 of this year was 37% higher than on that date last year. The Talsi, Tukums and Balvi districts also registered an increase in Internet connections of around one-third.
 
“The number of Lattelecom broadband Internet connections continues to increase despite the complicated economic situation in our country. This shows that the Internet has become a primary necessity in Latvia – something that is used not just for entertainment, work or communications, but for all of these functions taken together,” says Kerli Gabriloviиa, director of the Client Services and Retail Division of Lattelecom. She says that people appreciate the fact that the Internet also allows them to save a lot of money by paying utility bills without additional fees and using Internet banking services, as opposed to the services of post offices or banks, where commission fees are charged.
 
Lattelecom has offered permanent Internet connections on the basis of DSL technologies since 2000. Major growth in connection numbers began in 2005 and, particularly, after August 2006, when the company began to offer its “Home Set” services. In April 2007, Lattelecom introduced digital television services with several innovative supplementary functions, including an archive of broadcasts and virtual video rentals. Since the end of 2006, Lattelecom has also offered wireless WiMAX Internet services, which make it possible to install the Internet in places where no cable network is available.
 
Lattelecom is the leading provider of electronic communications services in Latvia. The company offers integrated electronic communications and IT services, as well as telecommunications, network design and installation services. Lattelecom provides data transmission and IT infrastructure solutions, Internet and contact centre services, as well as outsourced business services. The Lattelecom Group is made up of five companies: Lattelecom, Lattelecom Technology, Lattelecom BPO, Citrus Solutions, and the Baltic Computer Academy.