ICT Minister backs private sector in launching tech support firms

Hashemi made the statement in a meeting with the stakeholders and experts on Tuesday during a one-day visit to the city of Qom, capital of Qom Province to probe the status of ICT infrastructure and hold meetings with the provincial digital economy businesses.

“The ICT Ministry is moving toward regulation rather than direct administration. Supporting the technology ecosystems, domestic platforms, and new service operators is among the ministry’s priorities,” he stressed.

He also expressed his gratitude to the private and public sectors actors for maintaining the stability of communication services during 40 days of the Israel-US imposed war on Iran.

“The real winners of this war were the people. The cooperation of the people under difficult and complex wartime conditions was a tremendous asset for the country. This solidarity and cooperation made it possible to manage the situation.”

Hashemi added: If similar events had occurred in some developed countries, they would have resulted in widespread social consequences and impacts. However, despite all the hardships, the people of Iran stood together, and this unity enabled the country to overcome these circumstances.”

Maintaining Communications during Wartime

Referring to the importance of maintaining communications in the initial hours of enemies aggression, he said: One of our primary concerns was ensuring that communication among the people would not be interrupted and that citizens could remain informed about one another’s situation, because a disruption in communications could have posed serious challenges to public peace and stability.

He announced that more than 500 communication sites and over 100 telecommunication and infrastructure centers across the country were damaged during the attacks.

“Despite these losses, people did not experience major disruptions in their daily lives, and this was the result of the around-the-clock efforts of the country’s communications sector.”

The ICT Minister continued: From operators to service providers and digital platforms, everyone put aside their short-term interests and worked together to preserve the country’s stability.

““At a time when a significant portion of the population had relocated from major cities to other parts of the country, managing communications traffic and maintaining service quality was extremely difficult. Nevertheless, our colleagues did not abandon their responsibilities, even on holidays and under bombardment.”

Maintaining Connectivity between Islands and Mainland

He also referred to measures taken to preserve communications with the country’s islands.

“The enemy repeatedly targeted communication routes connecting the islands to the mainland, and related telecommunications and infrastructure facilities were struck.”

“In the first stage, communications were restored through fiber-optic networks, but these were damaged again,” he added.

“Communications were then transferred to wireless networks, which were also attacked. Finally, by utilizing satellite communication capabilities, we succeeded in maintaining connectivity between the islands and the mainland.”

Hashemi stressed that under wartime circumstances, maintaining communications for the islands was of strategic importance, saying “Fortunately this mission was successfully accomplished.”

No Postal Item was Left Undelivered

In another part of his remarks, the ICT Minister referred to the performance of the National Post Company during the war.

“Despite rising costs and declining revenues, employees of the National Post Company did not allow a single postal item to remain undelivered.”

He added: In many cases, postal workers would arrive to deliver items only to find that the recipient was in another city. Through coordination and follow-up, the item was redirected and delivered to the new destination.

Hashemi noted that according to survey results, public satisfaction with National Post Company services increased significantly.

Continuity of Country’s Space and Satellite Services

Referring to damage sustained by some of the country’s space infrastructure, Hashemi stated, “The Iranian Space Research Center was among the facilities that were struck. Fortunately, there were no casualties within the organization.”

“Some buildings and infrastructure were damaged, but through measures that have been taken, efforts are underway to restore operations to normal as quickly as possible.”

Hashemi also announced that space services continued uninterrupted during the war.

“At a time when there was a risk of losing communication with certain satellites, the country’s specialists successfully maintained satellite connectivity through a complex process, ensuring the uninterrupted continuation of space services.”

He stated: Broadcasting services of the national media as well as other services dependent on space infrastructure were not interrupted throughout this period.

Qom’s Potentials in Technology and Content

The ICT Minister also referred to the capacities of Qom Province in technology and the digital economy, and said, “The emergence and development of domestic platforms in Qom demonstrate the province’s significant technological capabilities.”

“These capabilities are not limited to the national level; they also have the potential to compete in international markets. Cooperation with neighboring countries and aligned nations can contribute to technological development and the expansion of markets for Iranian products.”

Hashemi also referred to Qom’s scientific and cultural standing, saying, “This city possesses unique scientific, religious, and content-production capacities, and these capabilities should be utilized to develop the digital content ecosystem.”

Strengthening Private Sector in Digital Economy

The minister further emphasized the need to strengthen the role of the private sector in the digital economy.

“If we expect the government to directly manage everything, achieving a leap forward in technology will be difficult.”

He added: Experience has shown that private-sector organizations operate more efficiently and provide services with greater quality and speed. Therefore, the ICT Ministry is moving toward regulation and creating an enabling environment for private-sector activity in the technology field.

“Just as operators emerged in the communications sector while the government assumed a regulatory role, in the technology sector we are also seeking to establish specialized ecosystems and service operators.

For this reason, the process will begin next month, and I hope private-sector actors in Qom Province will also express their readiness to participate in the smart government ecosystem clusters.”

AI must Develop with Private-Sector Participation

Regarding the country’s plans in the field of artificial intelligence, Hashemi noted, “The ministry’s approach is to develop distributed infrastructure and make use of private-sector capacities.”

 “If all AI infrastructure is placed under government control, the sector will face serious challenges. Therefore, our policy is to ensure active private-sector participation in the development of processing centers and AI infrastructure.”

Hashemi added: Private-sector investment will not only increase efficiency but will also contribute to the sustainability and continuous development of these infrastructures.

Communication Restrictions not a Permanent Solution

In another part of his remarks, the ICT Minister referred to communication restrictions, stating, “Decisions in this area must be made from an expert, national, and long-term perspective.”

“Certain restrictions may be justifiable under specific and short-term circumstances, but turning such measures into a permanent solution can lead to numerous negative consequences.”

“At a time when the world is rapidly moving toward emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, decisions regarding communications must take into account all security, social, and economic dimensions,” he noted.

Satellite Internet Requires a Balanced, National Decision

The ICT Minister also referred to the expansion of satellite constellations worldwide, and said, “These technologies create both opportunities and challenges for countries and should be examined from a forward-looking perspective.”

“During wartime conditions, a significant increase in satellite internet traffic may raise certain security and sovereignty considerations, which is why all aspects of the issue must be carefully assessed.”

According to Hashemi, decision-making in this area requires coordination among all responsible institutions and consideration of national interests as the ICT Ministry provides its expert opinions on this matter openly and transparently.

Continued Support for Qom’s Innovation Ecosystem

Concluding his remarks, the ICT Minister emphasized support for the technological capacities of Qom Province.

“The ICT Ministry is prepared to pursue the issues and obstacles facing stakeholders in this field in cooperation with various agencies.”

He expressed hope that through synergy among the government, private sector, universities, and specialized institutions, the extensive capacities of Qom Province in information technology, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence would flourish further.

 At the outset of the meeting, stakeholders and directors of ICT in Qom Province discussed the sector’s issues and challenges and presented a number of proposals.

Following the meeting, the ICT Minister visited offices of the Basalam online transaction firm and the Eitaa cloud-based messaging application, both located in the Science and Technology Park.