More than 98 percent of Iranian villages have access high-speed internet
(MENAFN) Iran's Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Issa Zarepour, announced that over 98 percent of villages across the country with a population of more than 20 households now have access to high-speed internet. This achievement includes connecting approximately 8,000 villages with larger populations and 3,000 villages with fewer households, ensuring that 98.5 percent of the rural population can now access high-speed internet services.
Zarepour highlighted that many of these newly connected villages are located in remote and challenging-to-reach areas, where establishing infrastructure for high-speed internet has been particularly difficult and costly for the government. These efforts are part of broader initiatives aimed at supporting rural communities and curbing the trend of migration from rural to urban areas.
As of January, Iran's internet penetration rate has surpassed 123 percent, according to data from the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA). Mobile internet penetration alone stands at 109.27 percent, marking a significant increase of over 26 percent compared to figures from 2019. The number of mobile users in Iran has reached nearly 135.890 million, resulting in a mobile phone penetration rate of 161.67 percent.
However, the adoption of fixed broadband internet in Iran remains relatively low, with a penetration rate of only 14 percent, serving approximately 11.921 million customers. This represents a modest growth of less than 2 percent compared to the previous year. In contrast, mobile internet has experienced a robust growth rate of 10 percent, indicating that mobile internet expansion in Iran is progressing at a rate five times faster than fixed broadband.
This trend contrasts with global patterns where fixed internet typically exhibits faster growth rates than mobile internet. Despite the challenges in expanding fixed broadband, Iran's efforts to enhance rural connectivity and boost internet accessibility reflect a strategic focus on leveraging technology to empower communities and foster socio-economic development nationwide.
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