Iran’s telecommunications industry is almost entirely state-owned, dominated by the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI). Telecommunication Company of Iran, or TCI (Persian: شرکت مخابرات ایران‎) is the fixed-line incumbent operator in Iran offering services in fixed telephony, DSL, and data services for both residential and business customers, throughout the country. It was established in 1971 with a new organizational structure as the main responsible administration for the entire telecommunication affairs. 

TCI maintains 30 provincial subsidiaries and two brands - MCI (Hamrahe Avval or Mobile Company of Iran) and FCI (Ashenaye Avval or Fixed-line Company of Iran) that provide fixed-line telephone service, data services, mobile services, high-speed internet and soon wireless services. About 99% of the fixed-line telephone subscribers and 61% of the mobile subscribers in Iran belong to TCI's affiliates. 

In 2016 the Director of TCI announced the merger of its provincial subsidiaries and the MCI into a single business unit. TCI has utilized equipment and services such as digital switching centers, optical fiber cables, mobile phones, data networks, satellite services, and telephone special services. TCI manufactures more than 80% of the required equipment inside Iran. Iran Telecommunication Industries (ITI) was also founded in the same year to manufacture the required equipment for the national long-distance network. TCI has a monopoly over Iran's fixed-line infrastructure, and it was until 2010, Iran's largest cellular operator (MCI) and Internet service provider and data communication operator (DCI).

For more information on telecoms contacts, please see the following link: 4.11 Additional Services Contact List.

Telecommunications Regulations

Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems

UNHCR and UNICEF have similar radio equipment as WFP. There is a common radio room based in UN Common Premises and it’s operational 24/7 in Tehran and provides services to all UN agencies: UNODC, WHO, UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, and UNFPA. 

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

There are 2 types of internet service providers in the country, Governmental and Private sector (which is also connected to the governmental hubs). ISP for UN Iran Fanap Telecom Company which is a private company.   

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)

Mobile networks in Iran provide widespread coverage, especially in urban areas, with companies like the Mobile Telecommunication Company of Iran (MCI) and Irancell leading the market. These networks offer both voice and data services, catering to a large population across the country. However, while coverage is generally extensive, the reliability of mobile networks can vary, especially in remote or rural regions where infrastructure may be less developed.

For information on MNOs please visit the GSM Association website.