Iran’s Minister of Information and Communication Technology Seyed Sattar Hashemi said on Tuesday that Tehran is prepared to develop sustainable digital progress with foreign counterparts on a win-win basis.
“We stand ready for win-win cooperation with all nations to
advance inclusive and sustainable digital development for all,” he said at the
World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 (WTDC-25) in Baku,
Azerbaijan.
Speaking at the Session 4 Plenary of the event’s High-Level
Segment, he added that Iran is determined to achieve a 10% digital-economy
share of GDP.
“In terms of affordability, Iran has reduced the cost of a
high-usage mobile Internet package to 0.3% and fixed broadband to 0.2% of
per-capita GNI — placing our country among the most affordable in the world.”
With 166 mobile Internet subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
and over 92% coverage of 3G and 4G/LTE, Hashemi said, Iran ranks among the
nations with the most extensive access networks. “The rollout of 5G, as a
driver of digital transformation, continues rapidly with over 2,400 active
sites already in operation.”
Saying that Iran ranks 26th globally in international
Internet bandwidth, 15th in telecom investment, and 9th in mobile broadband
traffic, the ICT minister also stated that Iran views connectivity not only as an
access but as a foundation for scientific, economic, and social growth.
In the 2024 Network Readiness Index, Iran ranked first
worldwide for AI scientific publications, he said.
Hashemi said meaningful connectivity has also advanced
digital equity as “Iran is now among the best in narrowing the rural gap in
digital services, indicating that digital and online services are almost
equally accessible to rural and urban populations”.
Two key national programs support these achievements, he
added.
First, the Digital Government Ecosystem, providing public
services through a unified national portal supported by intelligent agents, and
second, the migration to fiber-optic networks, now covering over 9 million
households, creating a sustainable base for smart cities, digital health, and
e-learning.
He reiterated that ICT Ministry’s achievements have been made
despite military attacks on civilian telecom infrastructure during the 12-day US-Israel
imposed-war last June, extensive cyberattacks, and coercive measures that
restrict access to advanced technologies and financial networks.
“While we strongly condemn both forms of aggression, I am
proud to announce that, thanks to resilient infrastructure and strong human
capital, Iran has maintained communication stability and a vibrant digital
ecosystem,” he concluded.
Prior to his departure to Baku, the ICT Minister said in an
Op-Ed in the Iran Daily newspaper on Monday that Tehran has revitalized its
technology diplomacy in the wake of the military aggression in June.
On the sidelines of the Baku WTDC-25, Hashemi met counterparts
from the visiting delegations discussing with them expansion of bilateral
cooperation as well as Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary General of the International
Telecommunication Union.