The Iraq - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses report includes all relevant research data and analysis. Covering trends and developments in telecommunications, mobile, internet, broadband, infrastructure and regulation.
5G services in Iraq are delayed
Iraq's ongoing political and economic difficulties have spilled over to the telcoms sector, which to some degree has become a secondary political battleground.
The three MNOs Zain Iraq, Asiacell, and Korek Telecom secured their 15-year concessions in 2007. Since these concessions gave the operators relative autonomy in their respective regions, it is now considered among many parliamentarians in the country that renewing them would only hold back market competition in general. The government had in 2020 accepted the argument that the concessions should be extended for a further eight years, which would have included three years to compensate the operators for damage caused in areas of the country held by Islamic State. Various court determinations have since then only resulted in continuing uncertainty for the concession holders.
The mobile sector holds the greater promise for ordinary Iraqis to benefit from telecom services. Destruction to fixed-line infrastructure in recent years has meant that fixed broadband penetration is low, at about 12.4%. By contrast, mobile penatration stands at about 95%. While the network operators have struggled to develop LTE services, and there is little scope for 5G services to be launched in the short term, nevertheless this segment offers the best opportunity for revenue growth, and for attracting subscribers to mobile data services.
Table of Contents
- Key statistics
- Regional Middle East Market Comparison
- Market characteristics
- Market Leaders
- Market Challengers
- Market Emergents
- TMI versus GDP
- Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
- Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
- Country overview
- Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector
- Economic considerations and responses
- Subscribers
- Infrastructure
- Telecommunications market
- Historical overview
- Market overview
- Regulatory environment
- Historic overview
- Recent developments
- Regulatory authority
- Mobile network developments
- Mobile market
- Market analysis
- Mobile infrastructure
- Major mobile operators
- Fixed-broadband market
- Market analysis
- Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
- Other fixed broadband services
- Telecommunications infrastructure
- Overview of the national telecom network
- Historical overview
- International infrastructure
- Fixed network operator
- Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company (ITPC)
- Smart infrastructure
- E-Commerce
- M-payments, m-banking and e-banking
- Appendix historic data
- Glossary of abbreviations
- Related reports
List of Tables
- Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Iraq 2021 (e)
- Table 2 Iraq - GDP and inflation 2012 2021
- Table 3 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Table 4 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2014 2027
- Table 5 Change in the mobile market share of subscribers by operator 2012 2020
- Table 6 Development of Asiacell's financial data (QAR billion) 2012 2021
- Table 7 Development of Asiacell's financial data (IQD billion) 2012 2021
- Table 8 Change in the number of Asiacell's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 9 Development of Asiacell's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
- Table 10 Development of Zain Iraq's financial data ($ billion) 2012 2021
- Table 11 Development of Zain Iraq's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
- Table 12 Change in the number of Zain Iraq's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 13 Zain Iraq's mobile prepaid and postpaid subscribers (million) 2012 2021
- Table 14 Change in the market share of Zain Iraq's prepaid and postpaid subscribers 2012 2021
- Table 15 Change in Zain Iraq's average mobile data traffic 2012 2020
- Table 16 Change in the number of Korek Telecom's mobile subscribers 2013 2020
- Table 17 Internet users and penetration 2012 2018
- Table 18 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2017 2027
- Table 19 Growth in fixed and mobile internet traffic (EB / month) 2017 2020
- Table 20 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity - 2012 2027
- Table 21 Historic - Iraq - fixed lines in service and teledensity - 1990 2011
- Table 22 Historic - Iraq - Internet user penetration and estimates 2001 2011
- Table 23 Historic - Iraq - mobile subscribers and penetration rate 2002 2011
- Table 24 Historic - Zain Iraq mobile subscribers 2006 2011
- Table 25 Historic - Zain Iraq financial data (US$ billion) 2008 2011
- Table 26 Historic - Iraq - mobile operator market shares 2004 2011
- Table 27 Historic - Asiacell subscribers 2006 2011
- Table 28 Historic - Iraq - GDP and inflation 1998 2011
- Table 29 Historic - Zain Iraq ARPU 2008 2011
- Table 30 Historic - Asiacell financial data (QAR billion) 2007 2011
List of Charts
- Chart 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in the Middle East
- Chart 2 Middle East Telecoms Maturity Index global ranking
- Chart 3 Middle East Telecoms Maturity Index by country
- Chart 4 Middle East - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
- Chart 5 Middle East Mobile subscriber versus mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 6 Middle East Fixed broadband penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
- Chart 7 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
- Chart 8 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2014 2027
- Chart 9 Change in the mobile market share of subscribers by operator 2012 2020
- Chart 10 Development of Asiacell's financial data 2012 2021
- Chart 11 Development of Asiacell's financial data (IQD) 2012 2021
- Chart 12 Change in the number of Asiacell's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 13 Development of Asiacell's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
- Chart 14 Development of Zain Iraq's financial data 2012 2021
- Chart 15 Development of Zain Iraq's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
- Chart 16 Change in the number of Zain Iraq's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 17 Zain Iraq's mobile prepaid and postpaid subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 18 Change in the market share of Zain Iraq's prepaid and postpaid subscribers 2012 2021
- Chart 19 Change in Zain Iraq's average mobile data traffic 2012 2020
- Chart 20 Internet users and penetration 2012 2018
- Chart 21 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2017 2027
- Chart 22 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity - 2012 2027
List of Exhibits
- Exhibit 1 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
- Exhibit 2 Middle East Market leaders and market developments
- Exhibit 3 Middle East Market challengers and market developments
- Exhibit 4 Middle East Market emergents and market developments
- Exhibit 5 Background information - Orascom Telecom Iraq Corporation/Iraqna
