Page 64 - IRANRptNov19

9.2.4​ TMT corporate news
Rightel, Iran’s third-largest mobile network operator and the first in the country to offer 3G, has named Mina Mehrnoush as its CEO, Zoomit.ir reported on September 15.
Mehrnoush has been tasked with tackling the ever-weakening position of Rightel versus Iran’s top two mobile operators, MTN-Irancell and Mobile Communications of Iran (Hamra-e-Avval). They have overtaken the younger Rightel by offering 4G services.
Mehrnoush holds a PhD in international economics and is a specialist in start-ups and communications technologies, the Persian language Zoomit report added. However, despite Rightel commending her impressive career to date, officials are not happy with her appointment as head of the telco.
Prior to the appointment, Iran Communications and Information Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari has said he had unspecified concerns about Mehrnoush.
“We are evaluating the experience of this lady; we have to wait to see what the outcome of the evaluation is,” he said, implying her experience in other sectors might not be suitable for the Rightel CEO position.
In another damaging blow, the Iranian Communications and Regulatory Authority (CRA), stated that it has not accepted the Rightel board of directors’ appointment of Mehrnoush, causing further complications for the operator in terms of who is now actually serving as CEO.
The CRA wrote: “In view [of non-abidance with CRA regulations]... and due to non-compliance with the Commission's decision, this appointment is not valid in terms of regulation and their actions and decisions will not be accepted by the Regulator [the CRA].”
Rightel has suffered since the CRA in 2017 permitted mobile phone users to port their numbers to other networks in a bid to increase competitiveness.
The mobile operator—owned by Iran’s Social Security Organisation (SSO)—reportedly had a total of 1.9mn mobile internet users in 2018. However, the number of active users was not provided by the CRA in its report.
64​ IRAN Country Report​ November 2019 www.intellinews.com