The government in Iran gave mobile operators carte blanche to upgrade their networks to offer 4G services, but these also require an upgrade to fibre cables to support them.
Telecoms Minister Mahmoud Vaezi demonstrated the fibre network at the launch in Tehran by calling regional officials in Bushehr, Zanjan and Tehran. The launch is due to be part of a wider roll-out across the country, with those locations among the targeted areas for expansion, Mehr News Agency reported.
The initial phase will give 50,000 users access to the network, though the deployment will be gradual as operators deal with overhauling the services of more than 13 million people in Tehran.
The first fibre network is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year, with the ministry aiming to connect around 100,000 potential subscribers in the fiscal year that starts in March 2018, according to reports in Iran.
Ultimately, Iran is looking to connect every citizen, according to plans unveiled by Vaezi in April. In addition he promised progress in wireless broadband, with 900 cities and towns covered by 3G and 742 by 4G. He said 3G and 4G coverage had been "extremely limited" when the current government came to power in 2013.
