Iran is positioning to become a telecom hub between Asia and Europe, says a new report by BroadGroup . As it does so, the domestic market in wireless and Internet is poised for substantial growth, yielding opportunities for overseas equipment and services providers.
The report is a survey of the current state of play in communications in the country, covering fixed, mobile, Internet and datacomms. “Internet in Iran has a current CAGR of 96 percent,” writes the report’s author and associate director of BroadGroup, Qmars Safikhani. “But mobile too is experiencing huge growth, and we are forecasting more than treble the current subscriber base of 3.5 million by mid-2005.”
The report details advances in infrastructure being made including the installation of a new wireless mesh network nationwide, and a 10,000 kilometer fiber optic network with SDH technology as part of the hub strategy.
Major areas of future growth are identified in the report, and include the expansion of public switching systems to increase the number of telephone lines, satellite communications, mobile cellular networks, rural telecommunications and data communications systems.
Transition from an analogue to a digital system and wider introduction of satellite networks are the major aims of the country's telecommunication strategy. Fiber optic systems will increasingly be used as junctions or for long-distance connections.
“We believe that market growth across all sectors is significant,” added Safikhani, “and given the plans currently in place, will afford a series of opportunities for participation by overseas companies.” — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
