Communications in Iran

Iran's telecommunications industry is mostly state-owned, with the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) being the main provider. In 2004, Iran had 22 landlines for every 100 people, which was more than Egypt (14) and Saudi Arabia (15) but less than the UAE (27). By 2012, Iran had more than one mobile phone per person.

Iran’s population is 80 million, with about 56% under the age of 25. In 2008, there were over 52,000 rural offices offering telecom services to villages across Iran. There are more than 24 million landlines, covering 33.66% of the population, and by 2012, Iran had 43 million internet users—the highest in the Middle East. By 2020, 70 million Iranians were using high-speed mobile internet.

Iran is one of the top five countries with high growth and development in telecommunications and has received a UNESCO award for rural telecom services. By 2009, Iran’s telecom market was worth $9.2 billion, expected to reach $12.9 billion by 2014.

In 2002, the information and communications technology (ICT) sector made up 1.1–1.3% of Iran’s GDP and employed about 150,000 people, including 20,000 in software. There were 1,200 registered IT companies, with 200 focused on software. Software exports reached $50 million in 2008, and the telecom market doubled between 2009 and 2020.

References

Other Websites
 Ministry of Information & Communication Technology of Iran
  – Australian Trade
 Information Technology Company – affiliated with the Ministry of Communication & Information Technology (ICT) of Iran
 GSM Coverage in Iran
 Information Technology in Iran (1997)
 Internet Traffic Report – Iran Routers
 CIA FactBook (Iran Communications statistics)
Iran and Space Communications – Globalsecurity.org
Overview of e-commerce in Iran – Economist Intelligence Unit (2006)
definition of consumer behavior/ – Economist behavior (2010)

Category:Iran