Mobinnet data center and TD-LTE Internet network was inaugurated in Tehran on January 29.
Mobinnet is a semiprivate Iranian Internet service provider which also offers WiMAX broadband Internet without the need for traditional telephone connection.
TD-LTE is a high speed wireless technology that uses a single carrier frequency for both uplink and downlink, and uses the 3 and 4G network to service customers.
Speaking at the ceremony for the new Internet service, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi said four cities now have access to TD-LTE, namely Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad and Kish in the Persian Gulf.
"This number will reach 11 by the end of the fiscal year (in March)," ISNA quoted him as saying.
The domestic private sector does not have a strong role in developing data centers, he noted.
"Developing data centers is crucial for the advancement of cloud computing and this calls for bigger investments."
Improving Market Value
The ministry has invested in the ICT sector and plans to triple its market value by the end of the sixth economic development plan (2016-2021). The market value of the key industry is 400 trillion rials ($10 billion), Vaezi noted.
Stressing the role and significance of competition in boosting economic growth rates, the minister said Iranians are eager to have access to, and benefit from, global technological advancement.
Mobinnet's CEO, Hussein Riazi noted that aside from infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, his company is working on Internet of Things, content delivery networks and content creation.
Over 750 cities have access to 3G Internet and more than 300 cities have received 4G Internet coverage in Iran. Nearly 1.5 million people actively use 4G Internet, the number will reach 5 million by March 2021.
Mobinet's offer follows a similar offer from its long term rival. MTN-Irancell launched its own LTE-TD internet service last August.
The company’s TD-LTE network was launched simultaneously in 25 cities in the country. It is now available in more cities, the company says.
CEO of Irancell Alireza Ghalambor Dezfouli says 1,038 areas in the country, including 527 cities, have access to Irancell’s 3G network and 239 areas have 4G coverage.