Excellent Fixed-Line Scores But Overall Connectivity Improvements Needed

Strong consumer connectivity metrics help Iran to achieve a middle-tier performance on the 2009 Connectivity Scorecard.  Iran boasts the highest rate of fixed-line penetration out of all nations in the sample.  This is contrasted against mediocre mobile and low internet and broadband penetration.  Consumer usage of the internet is quite high, indicating a large percentage of public access points.

Iran’s business connectivity is ranked more modestly.  PC penetration is a slightly above average, as is secondary school enrolment.  Bandwidth availability and the penetration of secure servers is low, along with the measure of outgoing international traffic in minutes, indicating the lack of a sophisticated business infrastructure and weak business usage.  The country’s E-Government score is relatively high.

Iran’s tight government control over some aspects of its economy and telecommunications industry contribute to an environment where international investment is not as robust as it might be given the potential for growth in the country’s ICT sector.

Iran Connectivity Performance by Scorecard Component