Govt earns USD6.1bn from MTN Irancell in six years; WiMAX subs base rises to 175,000

According to Iran Daily, the Iranian government has earned close to IRR66 trillion (USD6.1 billion) – directly and indirectly – from telecoms services provided by MTN Irancell during the last six years. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, managing director Alireza Qalambar Dezfuli also took time to disclose a number of operational statistics. The number of cities covered by MTN Irancell, he said, stood at 1,874 by 23 September 2011, meaning that the telco’s network now covers 80% of the country’s population, including 22,000 villages and over 20,000km of roads, exceeding its previously-stated target of 9,000km. In addition, the firm offer WiMAX connectivity in 25 cities across the country, and currently counts close to 175,000 WiMAX subscribers using its network. Going forward, Dezfuli pledged investment of IRR32 trillion to expand its respective networks.