Mobile phone in Iran

Mobile: 41 million (Nov. 2008) from 35 million (early 2008) and 4.3 million in 2004.

Penetration rate: 60% as of January 2009.

Short Text Messages: Iranians send 80 million SMS per day (Nov. 2008).

Major mobile operators: Telecommunication Company of Iran (MCI/Hamrah Aval) with 70%
market share in 2008, MTN Irancell (28%), Taliya (1%), and Emirates Telecommunications
Corp (Etisalat) who won a license for 300 million euros in December 2008. The two national
operators, Mobile Company of Iran (MCI) and MTN Irancell both offer GPRS-based data
services.

Abu Dhabi-based Etisalat and Tamin Telecom, the telecommunications investment arm of Iran
social security and pensions department, will gain exclusive rights for two years to offer second-
and third-generation services (3G) in Iran (2008). Assuming a minimum network investment of
$4 billion, Etisalat can gain about 20 percent to 25% market share over five years of its
operations (by 2013). In 2009 it was announced that Etisalat, however, failed to secure the right
to be Iran exclusive 3G operator for two years. Later, Tamin Telecom announced that, IDRO and
Imam Khomeini Decree Center have replaced Etisalat because of contractual disagreements.

Taliya is the brand name which was selected in Khordad of 1384 (May – June) for the first
independent prepaid cell-phone network in Iran.

 Rafsanjan Industrial Complex Islamic Cooperative Company with thousands of members

carries out the enormous national project of Taliya, providing the necessary sources to create
thousands of job vacancies.

 
As the first prepaid cell-phone network, Taliya has covered about one million subscribers
in Tehran and province centers in the first phase.

 Taliya is expected to expand its coverage to two million subscribers and all the cities of our
Islamic country as well as adding to our customer services till the end of 1390 (first quarter of
2012).