Editing Communications in Iran (section)

===Domestic===
As a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, 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.

Iran's telecommunication network enjoys the highest growth rate in the Middle East. One of the indicators that clearly illustrates this growth rate is the increase in the number of installed main lines. In 1978 there were only about 850,000 fixed lines installed in Iran. This number rose to about 1,767,000 by 1986 and to about 2,380,000 by 1989. One of the objectives of the first five-year development plan (1989–1994) for the telecommunication sector was to add one million new fixed lines to the network. However, due to the establishment and expansion of many low-capacity and high-capacity exchanges, the actual growth rate that was achieved was considerably higher. In fact more than 3.1 million new main lines were installed during the period of the first five-year plan. Four million new lines were expected to be added by the end of the second five-year plan (1994–1999), which would increase the number of installed main lines to about 9,510,000 fixed lines. Iran's telecom market, which generated an estimated $9.1 billion in 2010 (of which 2/3 from "voice" mobile-phone and 1/10 from "data" mobile-phone services), has been growing significantly, especially its mobile-phone business. As of 2010, Iran had about 66 million mobile-phone subscribers covering about 70% of the population. In contrast, about 36% of Iranians had fixed-line phones.<ref name="stecklow1">{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204644504576651503577823210 | work=The Wall Street Journal | first=Steve | last=Stecklow | title=Chinese Tech Giant Aids Iran | date=2011-10-27 | access-date=2017-08-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902184953/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204644504576651503577823210 | archive-date=2017-09-02 | url-status=live }}</ref>

====Landlines====
*24.8 million (2008), with a penetration rate of 34%.<ref name="ReferenceC"/>
*30.6 million (2017) <ref>{{cite web|url=http://techrasa.com/2017/08/28/iran-mobile-internet-users-reach-41-million/|title=Iran Mobile Internet Users Reach 41 Million|date=2017-08-28|access-date=2019-08-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826094445/http://techrasa.com/2017/08/28/iran-mobile-internet-users-reach-41-million/|archive-date=2019-08-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Mobile phone====
{{see also|List of mobile network operators of the Middle East and Africa}}
*Mobile: 123.7 million (Jan 2019);<ref>{{Cite journal|last=DataReportal|date=2019-02-09|title=Digital 2019 Iran (January 2019) v01|url=https://www.slideshare.net/DataReportal/digital-2019-iran-january-2019-v01}}</ref> 80.85 million (end of 2012 est.);<ref name="zawya.com">{{cite web |date=2012-04-12 |title=Iran reaches 100 percent telecommunications penetration: BMI |url=http://www.zawya.com/story/Iran_reaches_100_telecommunications_penetration_BMI-ZAWYA20120412035355/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512215456/http://www.zawya.com/story/Iran_reaches_100_telecommunications_penetration_BMI-ZAWYA20120412035355/ |archive-date=2012-05-12 |access-date=2012-04-14 |website=Zawya}}</ref> 68 million (Sep. 2011);<ref name="tamintelecom1">{{cite web |url=http://www.tamintelecom.ir/News/Details/6a7110ab-6a98-4a6e-814c-9f5d00eef2d4 |title=رایتل &#124; ایران 68 میلیون مشترك موبایل و از نظر ضریب نفوذ تلفن ثابت رتبه‌ 31 را دارد |publisher=Tamintelecom.ir |access-date=2012-01-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214132048/http://www.tamintelecom.ir/News/Details/6a7110ab-6a98-4a6e-814c-9f5d00eef2d4 |archive-date=2012-02-14 }}</ref> 35 million (early 2008)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3279/html/economy.htm#s347187 |title= Iran Daily - Domestic Economy - 11/25/08|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817172706/http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3279/html/economy.htm#s347187 |archive-date=August 17, 2009}}</ref> and 4.3 million in 2004. The bulk of mobile subscriptions in Iran are made up of [[Prepaid mobile phone|prepaid]] users.<ref name="zawya.com"/> As of 2014, 75% of the cell phones in the market were [[Smuggling in Iran|smuggled into the country]]. Since 2018, mobile registry scheme in Iran has been deployed to combat smuggling of mobile phones.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.mehrnews.com/news/136828/Cellphone-smuggling-reach-zero-in-Iran-after-Registry-Scheme|title=Cellphone smuggling reach zero in Iran after Registry Scheme launch|date=2018-08-17|access-date=2019-08-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826093648/https://en.mehrnews.com/news/136828/Cellphone-smuggling-reach-zero-in-Iran-after-Registry-Scheme|archive-date=2019-08-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
**Penetration rate: 91.2% as of September 2011;<ref name="tamintelecom1"/> 130% as of February 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1537947 |title=ضریب نفوذ موبایل به 130 درصد رسید |access-date=2018-12-21 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128145101/http://www.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1537947 |archive-date=2013-01-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Smartphone]] owners: 12 million (2014 est.),<ref name="medium.com">{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/iran-startups/is-digikala-really-worth-150m-usd-7bb67e34131b|title=Is DigiKala Really Worth 150M USD?|first=Mohsen|last=Malayeri|date=11 July 2014|access-date=9 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415221559/https://medium.com/iran-startups/is-digikala-really-worth-150m-usd-7bb67e34131b|archive-date=15 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> 30 million (2015)<ref name="reuters.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-startups-germany-idUSKBN0OL1JI20150605|title=Iranian entrepreneurs thirst for foreign funding, expertise|first=Georgina|last=Prodhan|newspaper=Reuters|date=2015-06-05|access-date=2017-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114220305/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/05/us-iran-startups-germany-idUSKBN0OL1JI20150605|archive-date=2015-11-14|url-status=live}}</ref> 47 million (2016), mostly [[Samsung]] and Huawei models.<ref name="ft.com">{{cite news |last1=Fildes |first1=Nic |last2=Bozorgmehr |first2=Najmeh |date=November 2016 |title=Iran opens for telecoms connections |website=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/c4776b8e-a023-11e6-891e-abe238dee8e2 |url-status=live |access-date=2016-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104003303/https://www.ft.com/content/c4776b8e-a023-11e6-891e-abe238dee8e2 |archive-date=2016-11-04}}</ref>
*Short Text Messages: Iranians send 80 million [[SMS]] per day (Nov. 2008).<ref name="payvand.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/08/nov/1242.html |title=Iranians send 80 million SMS per day |publisher=Payvand.com |access-date=2012-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531093103/http://www.payvand.com/news/08/nov/1242.html |archive-date=2012-05-31 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===== Operators =====
Major mobile operators as of 2008: [[Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran]] (MCI Hamrahe Aval) with 70% market share, [[MTN Irancell]] (28%), and Emirates Telecommunications Corp ([[Etisalat]]) who won a license for 300 million euros in December 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3292/html/economy.htm |title= Iran Daily - Domestic Economy - 12/11/08|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217031251/http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3292/html/economy.htm |archive-date=December 17, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3316/html/ |title= دسترسی غیر مجاز|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125105435/http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3316/html/ |archive-date=January 25, 2016}}</ref> Etisalat has been replaced by an Iranian consortium and operates under the name ''[[RighTel]]''. The two national operators, Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran and MTN Irancell both offer [[GPRS]]-based data services.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3476/html/economy.htm |title= Iran Daily - Domestic Economy - 08/19/09|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090921191714/http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3476/html/economy.htm |archive-date=September 21, 2009}}</ref> Recently{{when|date=March 2024}} a new [[LTE (telecommunication)|LTE]] mobile broadband service provider called ApTel has started its work in Iran.{{cn|date=March 2024}}

As of 2011, major foreign supplier to Iran's mobile-phone networks are: [[Huawei]] of China along, [[Ericsson|Telefon AB L.M.]] and  Nokia Siemens Networks, a joint venture between [[Nokia]] Corp. and [[Siemens AG]].<ref name="stecklow1"/> As of 2016, France's [[Orange S.A.]] and U.K.'s [[Vodafone]] (through ''HiWEB.ir'') are also developing mobile IT in Iran.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

=====3G network=====
Abu Dhabi-based [[Etisalat]] and ''Tamin Telecom'', the telecommunications investment arm of [[Social Security Organization (Iran)#Affiliated institutions|Iran's social security and pensions department]], will gain exclusive rights for two years to offer second- and third-generation services ([[3G]]) in Iran (2008). Assuming a minimum network investment of $4 billion, Etisalat can gain about 20 percent to 25% market share over five years of its operations (by 2013).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3318/html/economy.htm |title= Iran Daily - Domestic Economy - 01/17/09|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627051053/http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3318/html/economy.htm |archive-date=June 27, 2009}}</ref> In 2009 it was announced that Etisalat, however, failed to secure the right to be Iran's exclusive 3G operator for two years.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Later, ''Tamin Telecom'' announced that, [[Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran|IDRO]] and ''Imam Khomeini Decree Center'' have replaced Etisalat because of contractual disagreements.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} In 2011, Tamin Telecom revealed plans to cover 60 percent of the population with its [[2G]] network and 40 percent with its [[3G]] network by 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.farsnews.ir/newstext.php?nn%3D9007274839 |title=Fars News Agency :: Iran's 3rd Mobile Operator Preparing to Start Work |access-date=2011-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126015021/http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9007274839 |archive-date=2011-11-26 }}</ref>

=====4G network=====
As of 2020, [[4G LTE]] population coverage in Iran has reached around 90%. The government is preparing regulations for 5G deployment and aims to launch services in the next couple of years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200515005249/en/Iran-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Markets-2020---Increased-Demand-for-Internet-Access-from-Citizens-Based-at-Home-due-to-COVID-19---ResearchAndMarkets.com|title=Iran Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband Markets 2020 - Increased Demand for Internet Access from Citizens Based at Home due to COVID-19 - ResearchAndMarkets.com|date=May 15, 2020|website=www.businesswire.com}}</ref>