Internet becomes expensive; Operators’ agreement with regulatory conditions

A 30% increase in average internet speed is one of the conditions for tariff increase

According to Iran digital economy annotation, The Ministry of Communications had made the increase of the Internet tariff conditional on the increase of network quality indicators. Now, the managers of the operators accepted the set conditions by attending the regulatory organization last night. A 30% increase in internet speed is one of the conditions for tariff change.

At the beginning of the week, the operators sent a letter to the president, demanding a doubling of the Internet tariff. In response to this letter, the Regulatory Organization and the Ministry of Communications announced that any change in the Internet tariff is conditional on the development and increase of network quality.

Last night, the communication operators, by attending the Radio Communications and Regulatory Organization, accepted the conditions set by this organization. Increasing fifth generation sites to 10% by the end of year, increasing fourth generation coverage in the country to 96% by the end of year, and increasing the average internet speed by 30% in the next six months are among the most important conditions set for operators.

The increase in the Internet tariff will be about 34%, while the operators wanted a 100% price increase. “Eisa Zarepour,” the Minister of Communications, announced yesterday on the sidelines of the government board meeting: “We will not accept the request for a 100% increase in any way, and in the current conditions of the country, such a thing is not possible.”

He announced that if a decision is made about the Internet tariff, this increase will be within the inflation ceiling that exists in the country: “We did not accept a large part of their arguments (operators). About the expenses they said, although tariffs have not been touched in these years since 2017, we had increases in the field of manpower, equipment and currency prices.

In the meetings that the regulatory organization had with the operators, we set conditions for the increase in front of the operators, and we depended on them to improve the quality of the network in a tangible way. “We are not looking for the operator’s profit, we are looking for the quality of the network. We announced the conditions that if they do to increase the quality of the network within a certain period of time, we will decide on their request.”