The Minister of Information and Communications Technology stated on Tuesday that the ICT Ministry is prepared for holding the farewell and funeral processions of the martyred Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
“All communication capacities are dedicated
to the glorious farewell and funeral events for the martyred leader. The ICT
infrastructure is completely prepared to host the gatherings of millions of people,”
he said.
“The ICT Ministry’s special teams
are deployed in the three provinces of Tehran, Qom and Razavi Khorasan which
will be hosting the mourners,” Hashemi added.
He made the remarks at the first
meeting of the Communications Committee of the Headquarters for the Funeral of
the Martyred Leader of the Revolution
The minister described as
strategic the role of communication infrastructure in managing the farewell and
funeral ceremonies of the martyred leader of the revolution which he termed one
of the largest public gatherings in the country.
He announced extensive planning to
provide stable communications, increase network capacity, ensure cybersecurity,
and coordinate among executive bodies in the provinces of Tehran, Qom, and
Razavi Khorasan.
Offering condolences on the
occasion of the mourning month of Muharram and honoring the memory of the
martyred leader of the revolution and other martyrs Israel-US imposed war on
Iran, Hashemi said the funeral of the martyred leader is one of the country's
most important national and historical events.
He expressed hope that through the
cooperation of all responsible agencies and sectors, a ceremony worthy of the
exalted position of the martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution would be
held.
“Communications infrastructure in
such an event does not merely play a specialized role. Rather, part of the
process of managing the ceremony, ensuring people's comfort and peace of mind,
and also transmitting popular narratives inside and outside the country depends
on the quality and stability of communication networks.”
ICT Ministry Ready to Host
Millions in 3 Provinces
Elaborating on the differences
between the upcoming conditions and the experience of holding the annual
Arbaeen religious procession, the ICT Minister added: In the coming days, the
three provinces of Tehran, Qom, and Razavi Khorasan will host gatherings of
millions. Maintaining the stability of communication networks under these
conditions requires special attention and the full readiness of all executive
sectors.
Hashemi announced the appointment
of special representatives of the ICT Ministry to conduct field and daily
monitoring of the communications situation in the host provinces.
“The deputies of the ICT Ministry will
directly assume responsibility for following up on the communications situation
in these provinces so that any potential needs can be addressed in the shortest
possible time,” he said.
“Coordination meetings and network
monitoring sessions will be held daily, and the ICT Ministry will employ all
its capacities to provide stable services to the people.”
ICT Ministry-IRIB Cooperation
Hashemi reiterated the extensive
coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) organization
for media coverage of the farewell and funeral procession, calling for immediate
and prioritized handling of IRIB’s technical and communication requests.
He also referred to the
development of the communications infrastructure of Tehran Mosalla and stated: Creating
stable communications infrastructure for this complex should be placed on the
agenda as a lasting program so that it can also be used in future major events.
“Estimates indicate the presence
of tens of millions of people in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad, and it is
anticipated that participants from other countries will enter Iran,” he added.
“Naturally, under such conditions,
the volume of data exchange and the sharing of images and videos across the
country’s communication networks will increase significantly; therefore, the
necessary capacities at various network layers, especially in the field of
international communications and transmission infrastructure, must be
anticipated and provided from now on.”
The Minister of Communications
further emphasized the full readiness of the country’s data centers and communications
networks and said: Providing backup power and fuel for data centers, continuous
inspection of equipment, and full preparedness for emergency conditions must be
pursued with special sensitivity.
“Given the rising air temperatures
and the possibility of certain unforeseen circumstances, the measures must be
taken so that no disruption occurs in the provision of communication and
infrastructure services. Communications must remain operational even in the
event of power outages,” he stated.
Hashemi also termed cybersecurity
as one of the most important aspects of preparations for the farewell and
funeral events.
“The continuity of the country’s
vital services, especially electronic payment services and the availability of
public services under all circumstances, must be guaranteed.”
He emphasized the importance of
SMS systems in information dissemination and situation management and said: The
platforms for sending informational and warning text messages must be fully
prepared, and if necessary, the required drills should be conducted before the
ceremony is held.
“Accurate and timely information
dissemination to the public can play an important role in managing traffic
flows, directing crowds, and improving the quality of service delivery.”
Referring to the broad dimensions
of the processions of the martyred leader of the revolution, Hashemi added: This
event will be one of the largest gatherings in the country's contemporary
history, and all agencies are obliged to use all of their capacities to provide
the conditions for the magnificent, orderly, and disruption-free holding of
this ceremony.'
He expressed hope that, through
the cooperation and synergy of all sectors, ICT services would be provided to
the public at the highest level of stability and quality.
Prior to the ICT Minister’s
remarks, the governor generals of Qom and Tehran and the deputy governor general
of Razavi Khorasan announced their readiness to host the procession and
cooperate with the ICT Ministry in providing communications infrastructure.
Representatives and directors of
the operators also expressed complete readiness to provide communications
coverage and announced that plans had been made to deploy mobile sites and
strengthen communications along processions routes.