Iran’s Ministry of ICT (MICT) says that broadband internet access will be available to almost all rural areas of the country by the end of the next Iranian calendar year (March 2020). According to a report from the Financial Tribune, 63% of rural areas currently have access to fixed or mobile telephony and broadband services, up from 32% in September 2017.
Mehrdad Torabian, director of ICT at the Rural Development office of the MICT, is quoted as saying: ‘In 2017 close to 9% of villages were totally deprived of any sort of communication services. The figure is now down to 3%.’
The Iranian government controls the country’s main fixed and cellular operators, Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) and Mobile Communication Company of Iran (MCI).