Under the former regime, average Iraqis were denied access to telephones. Only a select few of his most loyal followers were allowed have telephones in their homes or businesses. Iraq?s undeveloped communications technologies left the country unable to easily communicate on a national or global scale.
Pre-conflict
Iraqi Telephone and Posts Company had 833,000 active telephone subscribers in the entire country.
Cellular telephones were virtually non-existent.
There was practically no chance at internet connectivity for Iraq.
Cellular telephones, credit card services and ATM machines were non-existent, as well as the technology (data network) to provide these services.
Post Conflict
Today, there are over 700,000 active telephone subscribers in Iraq.
The total number of telephone subscribers in Iraq, including the 300,000 cell phones subscribers, equals 1,005,580, which is 20% percent greater than the number of active subscribers pre-conflict.
With the CPA stimulating the private sector, three private cell phone carriers built networks here in Iraq, without any cost to the American taxpayer.
One, two-year operating licensee was awarded to each of the three regions:
o Asia Cell — Northern region
o Iraqna — Central region
o Atheer ? Southern region.
With the debut of mobile phone networks, cell phones are selling at the rate of over 15,000 per week. Total number of phones sold has exceeded 300,000. Demand has stripped supplies. Consumers are placing large deposits just to reserve a spot on the next shipment.
The three new cell phone providers are creating thousands of jobs for Iraqis.
On December 30, 2003, a satellite gateway system was installed at Al Mamoun in Baghdad to provide international calling service. Approximately $50 million will be obligated on satellite gateway construction.
The US supplemental appropriation for Iraqi reconstruction funds provides $225 million for continued expansion of the Iraqi telephone system.
CPA is working to upgrade Iraq?s fiber optic network to satisfy modern data networking demands. The upgraded fiber network will be able to support a ubiquitous internet access, electronic banking, electronic funds transfers, credit card transactions, point of sale terminals, and ATM machines.
The new data network will be regulated, so as to provide equal access to all licensed common carriers, including the domestic long-haul traffic of the new cell phone operators.
CPA has trained Iraqi engineers and technicians to maintain both the satellite gateway system and telephone switches.
A “First Responder Network” (FRN) is being implemented for Iraqi police, border patrols and emergency personnel through CPA, which will improve the security situation in Iraq. FRN will be the first nationwide emergency communications network to provide the communications needs of Iraq?s civil and military authorities.
The CPA has modernized the telephone system by installing 13 digital telephone switches since May 2003 with full supporting service.
Future plans
By October, the upgraded fiber network will be able to support ubiquitous internet access, electronic banking, electronic funds transfers, credit card transactions, point of sale terminals, and ATM machines.
CPA will deliver an additional 10,000 radios through the “First Responder Network” for police and border guards over the next 90 days.
Future plans to issue additional cellular licenses will be decided by the Iraqi people and approved by the soon-to-be created Iraqi independent regulatory commission. The term of the cell operators? licensees is two years.
In addition to constructing new satellite earth stations, CPA will make major investments for connecting Iraq to submarine fiber optic carriers, providing low cost/high speed connections to the rest of the world.
Increased bandwidth will be used to support an explosive growth demand for Internet, financial services, e-business, and to support the large enterprise systems of multi-national corporations planning to invest in Iraq.