Editing Communications in Iran (section)

====Mobile phone====
{{see also|List of mobile network operators of the Middle East and Africa}}
*Mobile: 123.7 million (Jan 2019);<ref>{{Cite journal|last=DataReportal|date=2019-02-09|title=Digital 2019 Iran (January 2019) v01|url=https://www.slideshare.net/DataReportal/digital-2019-iran-january-2019-v01}}</ref> 80.85 million (end of 2012 est.);<ref name="zawya.com">{{cite web |date=2012-04-12 |title=Iran reaches 100 percent telecommunications penetration: BMI |url=http://www.zawya.com/story/Iran_reaches_100_telecommunications_penetration_BMI-ZAWYA20120412035355/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512215456/http://www.zawya.com/story/Iran_reaches_100_telecommunications_penetration_BMI-ZAWYA20120412035355/ |archive-date=2012-05-12 |access-date=2012-04-14 |website=Zawya}}</ref> 68 million (Sep. 2011);<ref name="tamintelecom1">{{cite web |url=http://www.tamintelecom.ir/News/Details/6a7110ab-6a98-4a6e-814c-9f5d00eef2d4 |title=رایتل &#124; ایران 68 میلیون مشترك موبایل و از نظر ضریب نفوذ تلفن ثابت رتبه‌ 31 را دارد |publisher=Tamintelecom.ir |access-date=2012-01-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214132048/http://www.tamintelecom.ir/News/Details/6a7110ab-6a98-4a6e-814c-9f5d00eef2d4 |archive-date=2012-02-14 }}</ref> 35 million (early 2008)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3279/html/economy.htm#s347187 |title= Iran Daily - Domestic Economy - 11/25/08|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817172706/http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3279/html/economy.htm#s347187 |archive-date=August 17, 2009}}</ref> and 4.3 million in 2004. The bulk of mobile subscriptions in Iran are made up of [[Prepaid mobile phone|prepaid]] users.<ref name="zawya.com"/> As of 2014, 75% of the cell phones in the market were [[Smuggling in Iran|smuggled into the country]]. Since 2018, mobile registry scheme in Iran has been deployed to combat smuggling of mobile phones.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.mehrnews.com/news/136828/Cellphone-smuggling-reach-zero-in-Iran-after-Registry-Scheme|title=Cellphone smuggling reach zero in Iran after Registry Scheme launch|date=2018-08-17|access-date=2019-08-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826093648/https://en.mehrnews.com/news/136828/Cellphone-smuggling-reach-zero-in-Iran-after-Registry-Scheme|archive-date=2019-08-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
**Penetration rate: 91.2% as of September 2011;<ref name="tamintelecom1"/> 130% as of February 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1537947 |title=ضریب نفوذ موبایل به 130 درصد رسید |access-date=2018-12-21 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128145101/http://www.mehrnews.com/fa/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=1537947 |archive-date=2013-01-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Smartphone]] owners: 12 million (2014 est.),<ref name="medium.com">{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/iran-startups/is-digikala-really-worth-150m-usd-7bb67e34131b|title=Is DigiKala Really Worth 150M USD?|first=Mohsen|last=Malayeri|date=11 July 2014|access-date=9 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415221559/https://medium.com/iran-startups/is-digikala-really-worth-150m-usd-7bb67e34131b|archive-date=15 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> 30 million (2015)<ref name="reuters.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-startups-germany-idUSKBN0OL1JI20150605|title=Iranian entrepreneurs thirst for foreign funding, expertise|first=Georgina|last=Prodhan|newspaper=Reuters|date=2015-06-05|access-date=2017-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114220305/http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/05/us-iran-startups-germany-idUSKBN0OL1JI20150605|archive-date=2015-11-14|url-status=live}}</ref> 47 million (2016), mostly [[Samsung]] and Huawei models.<ref name="ft.com">{{cite news |last1=Fildes |first1=Nic |last2=Bozorgmehr |first2=Najmeh |date=November 2016 |title=Iran opens for telecoms connections |website=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/c4776b8e-a023-11e6-891e-abe238dee8e2 |url-status=live |access-date=2016-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104003303/https://www.ft.com/content/c4776b8e-a023-11e6-891e-abe238dee8e2 |archive-date=2016-11-04}}</ref>
*Short Text Messages: Iranians send 80 million [[SMS]] per day (Nov. 2008).<ref name="payvand.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/08/nov/1242.html |title=Iranians send 80 million SMS per day |publisher=Payvand.com |access-date=2012-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531093103/http://www.payvand.com/news/08/nov/1242.html |archive-date=2012-05-31 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===== Operators =====
Major mobile operators as of 2008: [[Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran]] (MCI Hamrahe Aval) with 70% market share, [[MTN Irancell]] (28%), and Emirates Telecommunications Corp ([[Etisalat]]) who won a license for 300 million euros in December 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3292/html/economy.htm |title= Iran Daily - Domestic Economy - 12/11/08|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217031251/http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3292/html/economy.htm |archive-date=December 17, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3316/html/ |title= دسترسی غیر مجاز|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125105435/http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3316/html/ |archive-date=January 25, 2016}}</ref> Etisalat has been replaced by an Iranian consortium and operates under the name ''[[RighTel]]''. The two national operators, Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran and MTN Irancell both offer [[GPRS]]-based data services.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3476/html/economy.htm |title= Iran Daily - Domestic Economy - 08/19/09|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090921191714/http://www.iran-daily.com/1388/3476/html/economy.htm |archive-date=September 21, 2009}}</ref> Recently{{when|date=March 2024}} a new [[LTE (telecommunication)|LTE]] mobile broadband service provider called ApTel has started its work in Iran.{{cn|date=March 2024}}

As of 2011, major foreign supplier to Iran's mobile-phone networks are: [[Huawei]] of China along, [[Ericsson|Telefon AB L.M.]] and  Nokia Siemens Networks, a joint venture between [[Nokia]] Corp. and [[Siemens AG]].<ref name="stecklow1"/> As of 2016, France's [[Orange S.A.]] and U.K.'s [[Vodafone]] (through ''HiWEB.ir'') are also developing mobile IT in Iran.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

=====3G network=====
Abu Dhabi-based [[Etisalat]] and ''Tamin Telecom'', the telecommunications investment arm of [[Social Security Organization (Iran)#Affiliated institutions|Iran's social security and pensions department]], will gain exclusive rights for two years to offer second- and third-generation services ([[3G]]) in Iran (2008). Assuming a minimum network investment of $4 billion, Etisalat can gain about 20 percent to 25% market share over five years of its operations (by 2013).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3318/html/economy.htm |title= Iran Daily - Domestic Economy - 01/17/09|website=www.iran-daily.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627051053/http://www.iran-daily.com/1387/3318/html/economy.htm |archive-date=June 27, 2009}}</ref> In 2009 it was announced that Etisalat, however, failed to secure the right to be Iran's exclusive 3G operator for two years.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Later, ''Tamin Telecom'' announced that, [[Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran|IDRO]] and ''Imam Khomeini Decree Center'' have replaced Etisalat because of contractual disagreements.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} In 2011, Tamin Telecom revealed plans to cover 60 percent of the population with its [[2G]] network and 40 percent with its [[3G]] network by 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.farsnews.ir/newstext.php?nn%3D9007274839 |title=Fars News Agency :: Iran's 3rd Mobile Operator Preparing to Start Work |access-date=2011-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126015021/http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=9007274839 |archive-date=2011-11-26 }}</ref>

=====4G network=====
As of 2020, [[4G LTE]] population coverage in Iran has reached around 90%. The government is preparing regulations for 5G deployment and aims to launch services in the next couple of years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200515005249/en/Iran-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Markets-2020---Increased-Demand-for-Internet-Access-from-Citizens-Based-at-Home-due-to-COVID-19---ResearchAndMarkets.com|title=Iran Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband Markets 2020 - Increased Demand for Internet Access from Citizens Based at Home due to COVID-19 - ResearchAndMarkets.com|date=May 15, 2020|website=www.businesswire.com}}</ref>