Tehran – Internet issues, typically associated with the tech sector, assume political dimensions in Iran, especially following the recent crackdown on digital spaces in the country. This was evident after the protests that erupted in September 2022 due to the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of Tehran's morality police.
According to the latest statistics from "Speed Test" for November 2023, mobile internet speed in Iran ranks 75th out of 145 countries worldwide. In the same listing, Iran's fixed internet speed ranks 154th out of 181 countries.
Satellite Internet
Iranian media outlets reported that concurrent with the conclusion of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) in Dubai, the regional rules for Iran were signed by the CEO of "YahClick" to set up the legal activities of the company in providing satellite internet services in Iran.
Internet expert Mohammad Kishvari believes that the arrival of satellite internet in Iran will not reflect on the ongoing political struggle within the country regarding the limits of free expression and the means utilized for this purpose. He clarified that the scope of satellite internet is very small, such that it cannot influence or play a significant role in this area.
Kishvari explains that internet coverage in Iran and around the world depends on terrestrial coverage, pointing out the high cost of equipment supporting satellite internet. He adds that satellite internet is used only in remote locations.
He further states that the significant aspect of satellite internet is Starlink service. Iranian authorities have officially approached Elon Musk, requesting to provide Iran with Starlink services within the constraints defined by Iran. In this case, Starlink would not be different from what is currently available.
Fiber Optic Internet
Kishvari continues, explaining that satellite internet will not greatly impact internet improvement. What would influence this sphere is fiber optic internet, which the Ministry of Communications is keen on developing. As part of its program to connect fiber optic internet to 20 million homes, it has so far reached 5 million homes.
The Iranian Minister of Communications announced that over the past two years, they have doubled the internet capacity needed by the country. He added that among the actions taken was the allocation of new frequencies for mobile operators, leading to an increase in mobile coverage from 86% to 92%, offering citizens easier and better connectivity.
The minister proclaimed plans to enable all people to use fiber optics with speeds of 100 megabits per second shortly.
Fifth in Terms of Price
In a separate context, research by "Digital Quality of Life" found no clear relationship between internet affordability and an individual's share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
For instance, although Iran ranks low in terms of GDP per capita, according to a report by "Surfshark" from the previous year, it has the fifth mostaffordable internet connection in the world.
In contrast, Denmark boasts a high GDP per capita and ranks seventh in internet affordability.
According to Surfshark's 2023 Digital Quality of Life index, which surveys digital well-being in 121 countries representing 92% of the world's population, Iran is ranked as follows:
- Global ranking in the digital quality index: 95th (index score of 0.34)
- Affordability of internet: 68th (index score of 0.14)
- Quality of internet: 104th (index score of 0.27).
