Iran reports further rise in number of mobile broadband users

Iran has reported a further increase in the number of mobile broadband users amid efforts to improve the services offered by its high-speed internet network.

Figures released by the official IRNA news agency on Saturday showed that the number of mobile broadband users in Iran had reached more than 120.095 million in the quarter to March 20, an increase of 6.61% compared to the same quarter last year.

The figures, provided by Iran’s telecoms regulator, showed that the mobile broadband penetration rate in the country had reached 139% in the quarter to late March.

The figures showed that the number of subscribers on Iran’s fixed broadband network had also expanded by 1.04% year on year over the same quarter to cover more than 11.163 million users.

The total number of mobile phone users rose 6.7% to nearly 163 million over the quarter to late March, while landline connections declined 2.36% over the same period to just over 28.85 million.

With a population of more than 85 million, Iran has one of the largest internet markets in the West Asia region.

That comes as the country has struggled to improve its fixed broadband infrastructure in recent years despite the rapid expansion that has happened in its mobile internet services.

To fix the problem, the Iranian telecoms ministry is working on an ambitious plan to provide optic-fiber broadband to some 20 million customers across the country. It has also ordered Iranian mobile phone operators to allocate 8% of their net income to the project.

In a related development, Iran’s telecoms minister said last week that the country will provide access to 5G internet to people living in its metropolises by the end of the current calendar year in late March.

Sattar Hashemi said that the 5G network will allow Iranian users to enjoy download speeds of up to 500 megabits per second.

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