Telecom Operators Invested Less Than $2 Billion Last Year, Says ICT Minister

Iran’s Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Sattar Hashemi, has stated that achieving a 10% share for the digital economy in the country’s GDP will require between $25 to $30 billion in investment. Yet, according to Hashemi, telecom operators invested less than $2 billion over the past year.

Speaking under the ministry’s new slogan, “Stable Connectivity, Smart Living,” Hashemi emphasized: “Our goal is to maintain reliable communications to facilitate knowledge transfer and human development. Smart living affects every aspect of people’s lives, and to make it a reality, we must upgrade our infrastructure.”

Addressing growing public demand for improved service quality, the minister acknowledged: “In recent years, infrastructure investment has fallen short of society’s evolving needs. That’s why we’re now focused on new strategies to attract private sector participation.”

Hashemi also revealed a 50% increase in internet transit traffic in Iran over the past three to four months. “Thanks to constructive engagement with neighboring countries and a more proactive stance, we expect this figure to multiply significantly in the near future,” he added.