Telecom projects position Iraq for regional data gateway

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq's recent telecommunications projects mark a major step toward positioning the country as a regional communications hub and an international data transit corridor, Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the opening of the third Iraq Telecom Summit, Sanad presented the ministry's modernization program, launched after he took office, to expand digital infrastructure and improve internet services nationwide. The initiative includes providing free internet access at holy shrines, along roads serving Arbaeen pilgrims, at border crossings, and in other public locations.

He highlighted the expansion of Iraq’s fiber-optic network and increased internet capacity to improve service quality, affirming that the ministry will continue upgrading telecommunications infrastructure, extending fiber-optic coverage, and modernizing internet systems across the country.

The ministry signed an agreement with Qatar-based GBI on June 25 to market cross-border internet transit capacity through the Civilizations Road Project. Sanad previously revealed that Iraq had received its first foreign-currency payment under the deal, which is intended to strengthen the country's position as a regional gateway for international data traffic.

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