A press conference for Shatel Mobile was held this morning to mark the sixth anniversary of this product, attended by media representatives.
According to IDEA, Arash Karimbeigi, the CEO of Shatel Mobile, discussed the company’s history and achievements. Shatel Mobile’s shares belong entirely to the Shatel Group. This company can be considered the most successful among the nine companies that obtained an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) license.
Karimbeigi described Shatel Mobile’s achievements as follows: the country’s sole Multi MNO (Multi-Mobile Network Operator), the largest MVNO in Iran and the region, innovative design, implementation, and development of the ‘Smart SIM Card’ for the first time in Iran and the world, the domestic design and implementation of over 26 technical products under ‘Shatel Mobile’ brand, and the provision of the first and only Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC) service experience in the country.
One of Shatel’s significant achievements is the Smart SIM Card. With the addition of support for a second operator in 2017, Shatel faced challenges in maintaining phone connectivity to telecommunications networks. Simultaneously, due to severe U.S. sanctions, foreign companies refrained from selling technology to Iranian companies.
As a result, Shatel Mobile, as a technology-driven company, introduced a novel system for assessing and analyzing the coverage and network quality of mobile operators. This system, using artificial intelligence and without the need for specific apps or special access, allows users to switch between different operators. Users also have the option to switch manually through USSD codes or the app and website.
Karimbeigi stated that they announced from the very beginning that offering value-added services based on balance reduction, based on market research, is not part of our strategy. In contrast, a portion of value-added services and Shatel Mobile customer club services, including free access to movies and series, online education, online shopping, health services, entertainment, and accommodation services, has become possible for Shatel Mobile SIM card subscribers.
According to Arash Karimbeigi, the number of Shatel Mobile subscribers experienced 29% growth in the second year after launch compared to the previous year. This trend continued, reaching 33% growth in the following year, 48% in 99, 53% in 1400, and a remarkable 89% growth in 1401 compared to the previous year.
Are Users’ Expenses Benefiting Shatel Mobile?
During this conference, Mohammad Hassan Shanehsaz Zadeh, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shatel Mobile, discussed the reduction in traffic for this operator over the past year due to filtering. He stated, ‘Last year, we lost nearly 40% of our traffic, which was economically very damaging to the company. I believe the filtering trend continues and becomes stricter. Furthermore, at times, restrictions are imposed on international internet, affecting the balance between domestic and international traffic, which is detrimental to operators.’
Based on internal monitoring and published reports, Iranian users spend between 100,000 to 150,000 Tomans per month on having a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Shanehsaz Zadeh explained, ‘It is true that many users are currently using VPNs, and disruptions have seemingly decreased. However, the reality is that VPNs incur significant costs for users, and not everyone uses them permanently.’
He emphasizes that selling VPNs or using them does not benefit the operator, and internet service providers still face challenges in providing quality internet services.
Is Shatel Mobile Going Stock Market?
Karimbeigi further mentioned Shatel Mobile’s entry into the Millionaires Club and stated, ‘We are among the few authorized operators globally that have joined the Millionaires Club. However, since we have not yet gone public on the stock exchange, we do not want to disclose the number of our users at this time.’
Shanehsaz Zadeh, in addition to Karimbeigi’s remarks, addressed the topic of Shatel’s entry into the stock market and explained, ‘We are currently in the preliminary stages of considering entry into the stock market, and whether Shatel Mobile will enter separately or not, we do not have a specific plan for it yet. Our current focus is on Shatel’s entry into the stock market.’
Furthermore, on the sidelines of the conference, Shanehsaz Zadeh announced that Shatel Mobile had reached an agreement on the resignation of Nakhjavani, the CEO of Shatel. Henceforth, Shajaealdin Mirtavousi will be the CEO of Shatel.
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