The latest Iraq Telecommunications News – mobile phones, Iraqi Communications and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News
By John Lee. Iraq's Communications and Media Commission (CMC) has ordered the immediate suspension of internet services for Korek Telecom due to what it described as outstanding debts and continued violations. A statement from CMC said the decision aims to pressure the company into settling its financial obligations. The CMC has formally requested the Ministry […]
By John Lee. Opensignal has announced the launch of the Global Network Excellence Index, which it describes as a new benchmark that ranks markets around the world on the mobile network experience they provide. According to data from Opensignal: Among large land mass countries, Iraq ranks in 41st place for network excellence. This places it […]
By John Lee. Qatar-based Ooredoo Group has partnered with France's Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) to build the Fibre in Gulf (FIG) submarine cable. The cable, connecting Qatar, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq, will have a capacity of up to 720Tbps with 24 fibre pairs. Ooredoo said in a statement that the […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani held a meeting with a delegation from Vodafone UK at his residence in London. The meeting focused on discussions regarding Iraq's fourth national mobile license, recently agreed upon between Iraq's Ministry of Communications and Vodafone. The Prime Minister affirmed the government's support for a long-term partnership with […]
By John Lee. On Tuesday (7th January), iQ Networks, a subsidiary of Sulaymaniya's iQ Group, signed Iraq's inaugural dark fibre IRU framework agreement with Qatar-based Gulf Bridge International (GBI) in Baghdad. According to a statement from iQ, this landmark deal is a pivotal move towards establishing Iraq as an essential telecommunications hub. The event also […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Ministry of Communications has signed an agreement with UK's Vodafone to establish a new 5G telecommunications network fully owned by Iraq. The agreement outlines Vodafone's role in preparing the network for launch, providing expertise in network design, commercial strategies, and business growth planning. A memorandum of understanding was also signed […]
By Dana Taib Menmy for The New Arab. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Behind closed doors?: Iraq's Vodafone 5G deal raises concerns on transparency A Vodafone spokesperson told The New Arab talks are ongoing with Iraq's government on a consultancy for […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Communications, Dr. Hayam Al-Yasiri, announced the Cabinet's approval of British multinational Vodafone as the operator for the national 5G mobile licence. The decision follows recommendations from the Ministry's negotiation team. The Ministry will formally notify Vodafone to begin negotiations on a memorandum of understanding, outlining preparatory steps for project […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi government has assigned a team led by the Minister of Communications to negotiate with leading global telecom operators to launch a 5G mobile telecommunications service. The team will focus on selecting a company with proven expertise in building, operating, and managing 5G networks. Companies with experience in the Middle East […]
By John Lee. Sulaymaniyah-based iQ Networks and Nokia have announced their collaboration to establish a new Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) wholesale route from the Gulf to Europe. According to a press release: "This strategic route will provide new fiber optic paths, significantly enhancing both latency and diversity while enhancing the capacity and strengthening the […]
By John Lee. Iraq has increased the rate at which it is installing fiber-optic internet connections. The Ministry of Communications reports that more than 3.5 million FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) connections have been complete so far in 2024. This compares to 2.9 million last year, 1.5 million in 2022, and 276,000 in 2021. (Source: Ministry of Communications)
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Communications, Dr. Hayam Al-Yasiri, announced that Iraq's international telecom transit capacity has increased to "1400G" [presumably 1,400 gigabits per second (Gbps) of bandwidth capacity] by mid-2024. This represents a significant increase on the 10G in previous years. According to a Ministry statement, this generated a revenue of $1.8 million […]
