Regulatory Report: Fiber Optics Accounts for 3% of Fixed Broadband Share

Winter 2023 Regulatory Report: Fiber Optics Accounts for 3% of Fixed Broadband Share”

The Winter 2023 report from the Regulatory Authority for Radioactive Communications shows that there are over 152 million mobile phone subscribers and 112 million mobile internet users; meanwhile, the number of fixed broadband subscribers is only 11 million.

According to Iran Digital Economy Annotation, the report for last winter indicates that the number of mobile broadband subscribers has grown by 7% compared to Winter 2021, reaching 112 million users. In contrast, the number of fixed broadband subscribers has decreased by 0.5%.

The report does not mention the number of fiber optic connections; however, the number of households covered by fiber has increased by 2 million subscribers compared to the last quarter of the previous year, reaching over 7 million people. Additionally, 337 cities have various levels of fiber optic coverage, with 119 of these cities having coverage exceeding 60%.

Broadband Internet Subscriptions

The statistics released in the regulatory report indicate that over 47% of the fixed internet market share in the country is held by Iran Telecommunication Company, with Unified Network and Communication Service Providers (UNSP) holding the next largest share at 36%.

Another interesting point in the report is the share of fiber optics among communication methods, which constitutes only 3% of internet connection methods, while 73% of internet subscribers use DSL-related technologies.

Among fixed broadband subscribers, the largest share belongs to those connected to the network at speeds between 1 and 2 megabits per second. The next largest group, with 3 million subscribers, has speeds between 2 and 10 megabits per second.

Mobile Phones Lead Communications

To date, approximately 209 million mobile phone lines have been allocated to the public, while the number of fixed telephone lines totals over 28 million. Among the operators, Hamrahe Aval leads with 102 million lines, of which 80 million are active. Following closely, Irancell has 98 million lines, with 66 million active. Rightel has allocated over 8 million lines, with more than 5 million being active. According to these figures, Hamrahe Aval holds 53% of the mobile market share, and Irancell holds 44%.

Among all allocated lines, approximately 39 million are permanent and 170 million are prepaid. Additionally, 6% of subscribers still use 3G technology to connect to the network.

Hamrah Aval has roaming agreements with 272 operators in 108 countries, while Irancell has agreements with 248 operators in 123 countries. Furthermore, 52% of the physical 4G network sites are operated by Hamrah Aval, and 40% are managed by Irancell. Rightel holds the next position with an 8% share.

In Winter 2023, mobile phone subscribers talked for a total of 82 billion minutes, with an average of 180 minutes per user. Among these, Hamrah Aval leads with a 67% share of conversations and an 85% share of SMS messages.