UK-based telecoms group Vodafone has signed a partner market agreement with the Iranian ISP HiWEB. The deal will see Vodafone assisting the Iranian firm in rolling out and modernising its network and IT infrastructure to expand its fixed and mobile internet services for both private and business users. In addition, HiWEB will be able to provide Vodafone’s multinational corporate customers with fixed and mobile services in Iran. Vodafone will also support HiWEB in marketing, distribution and sales, including the provision of Internet of Things (IoT) services to HiWEB’s customers.
HiWEB chief executive and chairman Seyed Iman Miri said: ‘Iran’s telecom market has great potential for new investment and expansion of fixed and mobile broadband services. The partnership with Vodafone … offers our customers a whole suite of innovative and new services such as high quality wireless broadband, IoT and a wide range of enterprise services.’ HiWEB is currently rolling out time division duplex LTE (TD-LTE) fixed-wireless broadband infrastructure in rural areas of Iran, with plans to cover some 25,000 villages. It has also been named among the potential candidates for one of the country’s soon-to-be-awarded MVNO concessions.