President Launches Irancell’s New Optical Fiber Service‌

Irancell’s new high speed Internet service via optical fiber, technically called FTTx, was officially launched by the president.‌ The president also launched Iran’s 600th 5G site as well as the development of high speed Internet access project in 336 villages during a ceremony which was held online today.‌‌

According to Irancell Public Relations, the optical fiber Internet service, known as Fiber to the Home (FTTH), was launched in Babol on the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day as “a national plan for providing homes and businesses with access to the optical fiber”. Babol, the capital of Mazandaran province, is the first city where Irancell FTTH service is provided.‌‌‌‌

‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌The service was launched on Wednesday afternoon, May 17th, 2023, in the conference hall of Iran Telecommunication Research Center with the presence of a number of high ranking officials including: the President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, ICT Minister Mr. Eisa Zarepour, Supreme Council Secretary and President of the National Cyberspace Center Mr. Seyed Mohammad-Amin Aghamiri, Deputy Minister, CRA President and Special Representative of Minister on Communications Affairs Mr. Amir Mohammadzadeh Lajevardi, Deputy Minister, Chairperson and CEO of Telecommunication Infrastructure Company of Iran Mr. Mohammad Jafarpour, Deputy Minister and President of Information Technology Organization of Iran Mr. Mohammad Khansari, Deputy Minister of Strategic Planning and Oversight of the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and Secretary of the Steering Council of National Information Network Development Mr. Aliasghar Ansari, Minster Advisor in ICT Development in Rural Areas and USO Executor Mr. Iraj Rouhi, Deputy Minister for Governmental, Parliamentary and Provincial Affairs of MICT Mr. Reza Begheriasl, a number of members of the Islamic Republic Parliament, Irancell CEO Mr. Bijan Abbasi Arand and a number of managers, players and experts in ICT field and a host of media reporters. ‌‌‌‌          

During the event, entitled as the “Launch of ICT Projects (20 Months of Service)”, Iran’s 600th 5G site which is 420th Irancell 5G site, was launched by the President online in Babol. The President also launched MCI’s 5G laboratory during this event. It is noteworthy that Irancell’s 400th 5G site was launched on February 2nd, 2023 with the presence of ICT Minister in Irancell headquarters.‌‌ 

The online launch of Irancell’s rural communication site by the President in Kavireh Guyaz in Saqez County, Kurdistan Province, in representation for all other 169 rural sites which are meant to provide coverage for 336 villages, was another important part of the event.‌‌  

In the first phase of Irancell’s optical fiber project in Babol which was commissioned with a credit amounting to 700 billion rials, the total number of homes passed with Fiber to the Home (FTTH) reached 25 thousand households in this city.‌‌ For the establishment of 420 mobile 5G sites in the 13th government, a credit equal to 28 thousand billion rials was spent and another credit equal to 5310 billion rials was allocated to rural development project in this phase.  

The plan for 20% increase in the communication network core capacity of the country, establishment of connection in the eternally-called Persian Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abumusa Island through marine fiber optic cabling, the 95-percent connection of organizations to e-Government services and the national online survey system for measuring the satisfaction of the public with the employees of the executive organizations of Iran were among other plans launched during this event.‌‌‌‌      

Zarepour Recognizes Remarkable Efforts Made by Optical Fiber Operators‌

Pointing out the increase of the digital economy contribution to gross national product from 6.4% to 7.5% by the end of the previous year, the ICT Minister in his speech emphasized that‌ “in the 7th plan for development, the digital economy was considered a key issue and the Government put all its efforts and capacities into it.”  ‌

Noting the establishment of the National Information Network as the pivotal mission of the Ministry, he added: “Based on the defined indexes, the progress in launch of the network has increased from 23 percent at the beginning days of the Government to about 61 percent which we hope it would reach 75 percent by the end of the year, so that we can accomplish this key and strategic project.”‌‌

Also referring to operation of FTTH and FTTB project, Zarepour regarded the launch of the project as commencement of a historical stage in the Iranian people’s life and mentioned that digital economy development would be meaningless as long as we don’t have its infrastructure. He stated that “currently, we have eight optical fiber operators in the country among which we have recently granted Irancell and Rightel the new UNSP license in addition to the WTTx license which was previously granted to operators and now they are all strenuously working to accomplish the project which is commendable.”‌

Indicating that the development optical fiber network paves the way for provision of future generations of communications including 5G, he added that‌‌ “from now on, three million people have access to optical fiber services and our dear people can view the progress of the project via iranfttx.ir.”‌‌

President Emphasizes the Encouragement of Competition in Private Sector ‌

Congratulating the World Telecommunication Day and recognizing and appreciating all the services and projects carried out in this arena, the President expressed his hopes that in future we would take greater steps forward and emphasized that “today’s world is a world of communications and information which has affected all layers of a modern life faster than what we could have ever imagined.”‌‌

Recognizing and appreciating the advances made so far in various hardware and software areas, he stressed the need to make more efforts to reach the desired point, stating that “all related organizations and the private sector must feel the urge to have an important role in this regard and they should be encouraged to compete with one another.‌‌ One of the manifestations of a true government which serves the public is to support, guide and supervise the works carried out by the public itself.‌ 

Appreciating the notable growth in the National Information Network indexes and stating the need to increase the speed of growth and at the same time preventing any decline in quality, Raisi stressed that “the National Information Network is one of the main infrastructures for any advance in the country and the Supreme Leader has always emphasized that completion and operation of this network must happen sooner.”‌‌

Indicating the 95-percent engagement of various organizations in the national channels of e-Government services, he stated that at most within one month all organizations must join the system and no one is allowed to skip it.‌‌

In this event, prior to delivery of speeches by the Minister and President, first the president of the Iranian Telecommunication Industry Syndicate and then managing director of Asiatech Company expressed their concerns and problems in this field on behalf of optical fiber operators.‌‌ 

The President also visited the exhibition organized for achievements made in ICT equipment when entering the Telecommunication Research Center.‌‌‌