Iran ranks fourth in mobile phone growth rate: telecommunication official

Growth rate refers to the number of sim cards increased in a specific period of time divided by population of the country, which is currently around 71 million people.
“First mobile phone operators has exceeded sim cards selling and mobile phone subscribers rate target set for the Fourth development plan
(From 2004-2005 until 2009-2010), “the TCI managing board member Mohammad Karampour told Mobna news agency.
Mobile phone subscribers rate is number of sim cards available to subscribers divided by the general population multiplied by 100.
“Currently first operators mobile phone subscribers rate has reached to 38 percent but it was predicted that it will reach 35 percent based on the Fourth development plan,” he added. 
“During March 2007- March 2008 Iran was among 10 top countries in the world in mobile phone growth rate,” he said.
“Currently in Iran with population of more than 71 million, more than 60 million phone lines are active; including 24.5 million landlines and 28 million state owned mobile phone lines,” he said.
“So far 5,000 villages have telecommunication bureaus. Currently 53,000 villages have phone access,” Karampour added.
“By implementing new privatization law on the first nation wide state owned mobile operator the growth will go forward rapidly,” he said.
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