Page 49 - IRANRptSep18

9.2.4 TMT corporate news
Iran's Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has permitted Ertebatate Sayar Houshmande Amin (AMIN S.M.C) to begin offering a new mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that is directed at young children and teenagers, ICTNA reported on July 30.
More than a dozen MVNOs that rent bandwidth from main providers are currently in existence in Iran, but the market segment has low profitability . Several smaller virtual operators have struggled to gain a foothold given the competition with major players including Mobile Communications of Iran (MCI), MTN-Irancell and Rightel, all three of which have managed to retain their customers in recent years.
The new MVNO brand called Teen Taak was launched on the sidelines of the ongoing Elecomp digital industries exhibition in northern Tehran.
Hamid Reza Amirinia, chairman of the board of directors of Amin S.M.C., said that with the emphasis placed by the company on the safety of children and young people in the digital domain, “we believe that Iranian children and teens can participate in a healthy digital environment”.
The new operator has been awarded a five-year licence.
The leading MVNO in Iran is operated by the country’s largest fixed-line ADSL provider Shatel . It uses MCI’s broadcasting capabilities.
Tabriz-headquartered NeginTel, another MVNO, recently launched its first mobile phone SIM cards. They are aimed at fans of Tractor Sazi FC under the regionally designated name of AZARTEL.
South Africa’s largest telecommunications company, MTN, has halted further cooperation with its partner in Iran, Iranian Net, Mehr News reported on July 20. The two firms agreed last year to invest jointly in the development of fibre optic internet provision in Tehran and across Iran, but MTN, represented in the country by MTN-Irancell, of which it owns 49%, has struggled to repatriate funds from Iran since its market arrival more than a decade ago. MTN also has a 49% stake in Iran Internet Group (IIG) in partnership with Germany’s Rocket Internet. The venture runs the most successful ride-hailing app in Iran.
Iranian Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) director Hossein Fallah told reporters that MTN had failed to invest expected capital in the fibre optic project. He added that “a team from MTN was meant to visit Iran to advance the project” but cancelled the trip and, given certain pressures, the company was not willing to pursue the project.
China’s Huawei and Finland’s Nokia have also signed agreements to roll out fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) in several cities across Iran. The deals became available as part of a rush by the Rouhani administration to achieve super-fast home internet for the country after years of trailing nations more advanced in internet access.
9.2.5 Metallurgy & mining corporate news
New US sanctions on Tehran have led to Russian steelmakers Severstal and MMK along with the ArcelorMittal’s plant in Temirtau, Kazakhstan to start scaling down sales of hot-rolled steel coils to Iran, steel traders told Reuters on July 17. Imports of Russian and Kazakh hot-rolled steel coils only make up a small part of Iranian consumption and could be easily replaced - however, the development shows that US sanctions are affecting Russian companies despite Moscow’s protestations that the sanctions would not impact
49 IRAN Country Report September 2018 www.intellinews.com