Telecommunication systems Iran, in 35 editions.

radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in Tehran; 2,143,000
telephones; stations--62 broadcast stations - 77 AM, 30 3 FM, 250 28 TV; satellite earth stations--2
stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; HF radio
and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and USSR
Uzbekistan

microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in Tehran; 2,143,000
telephones; 2,143,000 telephones (35 telephones per 1,000 persons); broadcast stations -
77 AM, 3 FM, 28 TV; satellite earth
stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; HF radio
and microwave radio relay to Turkey,
Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber optic
Uzbekistan cable to UAE

microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in Tehran;
Tehran; 2,143,000 telephones (35 telephones per 1,000 persons);
broadcast stations -
77 AM, 3 FM, 28 TV; satellite earth stations - 2
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and
1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; HF radio and
microwave radio relay to Turkey,
Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber optic
cable to UAE

2,143,000 telephones; 35 telephones/1,000 persons
local: NA
intercity: microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system
centered in
Tehran; 2,143,000 telephones (35 telephones per 1,000 persons); Tehran
broadcast stations - 77 AM, international: 3 FM, 28 TV; satellite earth stations - 2
INTELSAT (2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; Ocean) earth
stations; HF radio and
microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan,
Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber optic cable
to UAE

2,143,000 telephones; 35 telephones/1,000 persons
local: NA
intercity: domestic: microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system
centered in Tehran
international: satellite earth stations - 3 INTELSAT Intelsat (2 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth
stations; and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region); HF
radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan,
Syria, Kuwait,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber optic fiber-optic cable
to UAE

domestic: microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system
centered in Tehran
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic
Ocean
and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region); HF
radio and
microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait,
Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE

domestic: microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system
centered in Tehran
international: satellite earth stations - 3 stations-3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean
and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean Region); region); HF radio and
microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE

inadequate but currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic: 25 regional telecommunications authorities created as a result of heavy investing in
1996; these authorities are responsible for implementing paging
services and cellular systems; the telephone system since 1994, the number of long distance channels in the microwave radio relay extends
throughout trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been brought into the country with net; the system centered number of main lines in Tehran; system is
moving toward digitization the urban systems have approximately doubled; and direct-dial capability; 255
long-distance circuits (1999 est.); 366 telephone exchanges (1995
est.); 204,400 microwave channels (1996 est.); 230,000 thousands of mobile cellular
telephone subscribers (1997 est.); 3,930 pager subscribers (1995
est.)
international: 13,985 international circuits (1999 est.) with a plan
to reach 14,000 are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by March 1999; satellite earth stations--9 Intelsat the installation of thousands of digital switches
(with 50 terminals) and 4 Inmarsat; international: HF radio and microwave radio
relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan,
Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic
cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe
(FLAG); Trans Asia Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from
Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with
expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; four satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat; Internet service providers
as of 1997 with the number increasing (service available but limited to electronic
mail to promote Iranian culture) culture

general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number of long distance long-distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems have has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches
international: HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans Asia Europe Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat; Internet service available but limited to electronic mail to promote Iranian culture

general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches
international: HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat; Internet service available but limited to electronic mail to promote Iranian culture

general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches
international: HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat; Internet service available but limited to electronic mail to promote Iranian culture Inmarsat

general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches
international: country code - 98; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat

general assessment: inadequate inadequate, but currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches
international: country code - 98; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat

general assessment: inadequate, but currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number addition of long-distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company have been brought into the net; improved and expanded the number of main lines in the urban systems line network greatly; main line availability has approximately doubled; thousands of more than doubled to 19 million lines since 1995; additionally, mobile cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system service has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches increased dramatically serving some 8.5 million subscribers in 2005
international: country code - 98; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat (2006)

general assessment: currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic: the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company have improved and expanded the main line network greatly; main line availability has more than doubled to 19 nearly 24 million lines since 1995; 2000; additionally, mobile service has increased dramatically serving some 8.5 nearly 30 million subscribers in 2005 2007
international: country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 9 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat (2006) Inmarsat) (2007)

general assessment:
currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic:
the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company have improved and expanded the main line network greatly; main line availability has more than doubled to nearly 24 25 million lines since 2000; additionally, mobile service has increased dramatically serving nearly 30 43 million subscribers in 2007 2008; combined fixed and mobile-cellular subscribership now exceeds 100 per 100 persons
international:
country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2007)

general assessment:
currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic:
the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company have improved and expanded the main line fixed-line network greatly; main line fixed-line availability has more than doubled to nearly 25 26 million lines since 2000; additionally, mobile mobile-cellular service has increased dramatically serving 43 more than 50 million subscribers in 2008; 2009; combined fixed and mobile-cellular subscribership now exceeds 100 per 100 persons
international:
country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2007) (2009)

general assessment:
currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic:
the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company have improved and expanded the fixed-line network greatly; fixed-line availability has more than doubled to nearly 26 more than 27 million lines since 2000; additionally, mobile-cellular service has increased dramatically serving more than 50 roughly 56 million subscribers in 2009; 2011; combined fixed and mobile-cellular subscribership now exceeds 100 per 100 persons
international:
country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2009)

general assessment:
currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected
domestic:
the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company have improved and expanded the fixed-line network greatly; fixed-line availability has more than doubled to more than 27 million lines since 2000; additionally, mobile-cellular service has increased dramatically serving roughly 56 million subscribers in 2011; combined fixed and mobile-cellular subscribership now exceeds 100 per 100 persons
international:
country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2011)

general assessment:
currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, villages not presently connected
domestic:
the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed by Iran's state-owned telecom company have improved and expanded the fixed-line network greatly; fixed-line fixed line availability has more than doubled to more than 27 million lines since 2000; additionally, mobile-cellular service has increased dramatically serving roughly 56 million subscribers in 2011; combined fixed fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership now exceeds 100 per 100 persons
international:
country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2011)

general assessment: currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages not presently connected
domestic: the addition of new fiber cables and modern switching and exchange systems installed heavy investment by Iran's state-owned telecom company have has greatly improved and expanded both the fixed-line network greatly; fixed line availability has more than doubled to more than 27 million lines since 2000; additionally, mobile-cellular service has increased dramatically serving roughly 56 million subscribers in 2011; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership now exceeds 100 per 100 persons mobile cellular networks; a huge percentage of the cell phones in the market have been smuggled into the country
international: country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2011) (2015)

general assessment: currently being modernized and expanded with opportunities for telecoms growth, but the goal disadvantage of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume lack of significant investment which may change with sanctions being lifted; one of the urban service but also bringing telephone service largest populations in the Middle East with a huge demand for services; mobile penetration is high with over 125% accessing 2G & 3G; 4G LTE becoming available; Iranian-net, is currently expanding a fiber network to several thousand villages not presently connected have 8 million customers by 2020 (2017)
domestic: 38 per 100 for fixed-line and 106 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions; heavy investment by Iran's state-owned telecom company has greatly improved and expanded both the fixed-line and mobile cellular networks; a huge percentage of the cell phones in the market have been smuggled into the country (2017)
international: country code - 98; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2015)

general assessment: opportunities for telecoms growth, but the disadvantage of lack of significant investment which may change with sanctions being lifted; investment; one of the largest populations in the Middle East with a huge demand for services; mobile penetration is high with over 125% 93% accessing 2G & 3G; 3G, and 4G LTE becoming available; Iranian-net, is currently expanding a fiber network to have 8 million customers by 2020 (2017) (2018)
domestic: 38 per 100 for fixed-line (2017 est.) and 106 140 per 100 (2019 est.) for mobile-cellular subscriptions; heavy investment by Iran's state-owned telecom company has greatly improved and expanded both the fixed-line and mobile cellular networks; a huge percentage of the cell phones in the market have been smuggled into the country (2017) (2018)
international: country code - 98; landing points for Kuwait-Iran, GBICS & MENA, FALCON, OMRAN/3PEG Cable System, POI and UAE-Iran submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Middle East, Africa and India; Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2015) (2019)

general assessment: opportunities for telecoms growth, but disadvantaged by the disadvantage of lack of significant investment; one of the largest populations in the Middle East with a huge demand for services; mobile penetration is high with over 93% 90% accessing 3G, and 4G LTE becoming available; coverage; Iranian-net, is currently expanding a fiber network to have reach 8 million customers by 2020 (2018) customers; govt. is proactively preparing regulations for 5G development (2020)
domestic: 38 35 per 100 for fixed-line (2017 est.) and 140 142 per 100 (2019 est.) for mobile-cellular subscriptions; heavy investment by Iran's state-owned telecom company has greatly improved and expanded both the fixed-line and mobile cellular networks; a huge percentage of the cell phones in the market have been smuggled into the country (2018) (2019)
international: country code - 98; landing points for Kuwait-Iran, GBICS & MENA, FALCON, OMRAN/3PEG Cable System, POI and UAE-Iran submarine fiber-optic cable to the Middle East, Africa and India; Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated

general assessment: opportunities for telecoms growth, but disadvantaged challenged by the lack of significant investment; one of the largest populations in the Middle East censorship and international sanctions; large, youthful, tech-savvy demographic with a huge demand unmet demand; state-owned operators provided special offerings for services; services during pandemic, driving mobile penetration is high with over 90% accessing broadband and deployment of 4G LTE coverage; Iranian-net, is currently to nearly all of the population; government expanding a fiber network to reach 8 million customers; govt. is proactively and preparing regulations for 5G development to grow digital economy and smart city infrastructure; importer of broadcasting and computer equipment from UAE and China (2020)
domestic: 35 per 100 for fixed-line and 142 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions; investment by Iran's state-owned telecom company has greatly improved and expanded both the fixed-line and mobile cellular networks; a huge percentage of the cell phones in the market have been smuggled into the country (2019)
international: country code - 98; landing points for Kuwait-Iran, GBICS & MENA, FALCON, OMRAN/3PEG Cable System, POI and UAE-Iran submarine fiber-optic cable to the Middle East, Africa and India; (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect consequent restriction on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable services as a tool for work and satellite - has moderated school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

general assessment: challenged by censorship Iran’s telecom infrastructure has suffered from sanctions in recent years, which prevented the import of equipment and international sanctions; large, youthful, tech-savvy demographic devices and encouraged widespread smuggling, with unmet demand; state-owned operators provided special offerings a consequent loss of tax revenue; to address this, the government introduced a device registration scheme, and bolstered the capacity for services during pandemic, driving domestically manufactured mobile broadband phones; companies have invested in broadening the reach of their LTE networks, which has increased network capacity and deployment improved the quality of 4G mobile broadband services; the country is also looking to nearly all of 5G; the population; sector is still limited by low frequency bands; the government expanding fiber network and preparing is addressing this with plans to reallocate the 3.5GHz band for 5G use; Iran is keen to grow its digital economy and smart city infrastructure; importer economy; Iran offers significant opportunities for growth in the telecoms sector; the country has one of broadcasting the largest populations in the Middle East, and computer equipment from UAE there is a high proportion of youthful, tech savvy users having considerable demand for both fixed and China (2020) mobile telecom services; companies are offering national roaming to improve services in rural areas (2022)
domestic: approximately 35 per 100 for fixed-line and 142 152 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions; investment by Iran's state-owned telecom company has greatly improved and expanded both the fixed-line and mobile cellular networks; a huge percentage of the cell phones in the market have been smuggled into the country (2019) subscriptions (2020)
international: country code - 98; landing points for Kuwait-Iran, GBICS & MENA, FALCON, OMRAN/3PEG Cable System, POI and UAE-Iran submarine fiber-optic cable to the Middle East, Africa and India; (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards toward 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and has increased due to the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became is still evident, and received some support from governments the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

general assessment: Iran’s telecom infrastructure has suffered from sanctions in recent years, which prevented the import of equipment and devices and encouraged widespread smuggling, with a consequent loss of tax revenue; to address this, the government introduced a device registration scheme, and bolstered the capacity for domestically manufactured mobile phones; companies have invested in broadening the reach of their LTE networks, which has increased network capacity and improved the quality of mobile broadband services; the country is also looking to 5G; the sector is still limited by low frequency bands; the government is addressing this with plans to reallocate the 3.5GHz band for 5G use; Iran is keen to grow its digital economy; Iran offers significant opportunities for growth in the telecoms sector; the country has one of the largest populations in the Middle East, and there is a high proportion of youthful, tech savvy users having considerable demand for both fixed and mobile telecom services; companies are offering national roaming to improve services in rural areas (2022)
domestic: approximately 35 33 per 100 for fixed-line and 152 155 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2020) (2021)
international: country code - 98; landing points for Kuwait-Iran, GBICS & MENA, FALCON, OMRAN/3PEG Cable System, POI and UAE-Iran submarine fiber-optic cable to the Middle East, Africa and India; (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; satellite earth stations - 13 (9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat) (2019)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services