Iran’s Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Seyed Sattar Hashemi praised the role of news media in advancement of the society and called on the reporters to keep demanding explanations and answers to their questions on people’s demands.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the Reporter’s Day, he also said the ICT Ministry will publish and publicize the comprehensive report on the quality of the country’s communication network next month.
The minister referred to the decline in the quality of the Internet service in the wake of the 12-day war imposed by the Zionist regime against Iran and introduced the implementation of fiber optic development plans, the development of fifth-generation technology, and a review of Internet restrictions.
During the informal meeting with the reporters in the field of information and communication technology, Hashemi praised the important role of journalists in raising awareness and reflecting the demands of the people.
He referred to the direct impact of the quality of the Internet and communication services on the social and economic indicators and said, “The fact is that the people showed their utmost support and solidarity with the government during the 12-day imposed war. However, after the war, due to security considerations, changes in global positioning systems (GPS), and an increase in cyberattacks, the quality of the Internet and communication networks decreased significantly.”
“We do not deny this and we have a duty to respond to these conditions,” he added.
He emphasized that “ignoring the quality of communication services has anti-security and social consequences,” and said, “Several projects are being implemented to improve the network, and a comprehensive report on the performance and programs will be presented to the public within the next month.”
Hashemi also said the development of fiber optics and fifth-generation mobile phone (5G) coverage are key axes for improving the Internet quality.
“Fiber optics is the highway to quality and sustainability of communications. Unfortunately, this project was entangled in bureaucracy for years, but today, with coherent planning and private sector participation, its progress has accelerated.”
The minister also announced the design of a comprehensive package to review Internet restriction policies, saying "Experience has shown that long-term restrictions are not only ineffective, but also lead to the migration of specialized personnel, the stagnation of online businesses, and increased dissatisfaction."
He called on the ICT journalists to monitor the ministry's promises and projects with regular and professional follow-up and said, “I have assigned my deputies to hold specialized press conferences monthly. If this does not happen, I will personally take responsibility for the response to your questions.”
Hashemi listed power outages at communication sites as one of the most important current problems and added, “In some parts of the country, the unstable power grid causes disruptions in ICT services. Pilot projects for purchasing energy services from the private sector and making optimal use of backup batteries have been initiated and are expanding.”
However, he said that batteries are not supposed to shoulder the burden of energy imbalances and that their use should be an emergency backup and not a permanent solution to compensate for power shortages at communication sites.
In conclusion, the ICT Minister thanked journalists for their effective role in providing transparency, constructive criticism, and accompanying the country's development path, and said, "I hope that next year, when we gather again, we will not talk about today's problems, but about great and tangible achievements in the field of communications and technology."