Iraq - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Description

5G services in Iraq are delayed

Iraq’s ongoing political and economic difficulties have spilled over to the telcoms sector, which to some degree has become a secondary political battleground.

The three MNOs Zain Iraq, Asiacell, and Korek Telecom secured their 15-year concessions in 2007. Since these concessions gave the operators relative autonomy in their respective regions, it is now considered among many parliamentarians in the country that renewing them would only hold back market competition in general. The government had in 2020 accepted the argument that the concessions should be extended for a further eight years, which would have included three years to compensate the operators for damage caused in areas of the country held by Islamic State. Various court determinations have since then only resulted in continuing uncertainty for the concession holders.

The mobile sector holds the greater promise for ordinary Iraqis to benefit from telecom services. Destruction to fixed-line infrastructure in recent years has meant that fixed broadband penetration is low, at about 12.4%. By contrast, mobile penatration stands at about 95%. While the network operators have struggled to develop LTE services, and there is little scope for 5G services to be launched in the short term, nevertheless this segment offers the best opportunity for revenue growth, and for attracting subscribers to mobile data services.

1 Key statistics

2 Regional Middle East Market Comparison

2.1 Market characteristics
2.2 Market Leaders
2.3 Market Challengers
2.4 Market Emergents
2.5 TMI versus GDP
2.6 Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
2.7 Fixed and mobile broadband penetration

3 Country overview

4 Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector

4.1 Economic considerations and responses
4.2 Subscribers
4.3 Infrastructure

5 Telecommunications market

5.1 Historical overview
5.2 Market overview

6 Regulatory environment

6.1 Historic overview
6.2 Recent developments
6.3 Regulatory authority
6.4 Mobile network developments

7 Mobile market

7.1 Market analysis
7.2 Mobile infrastructure
7.3 Major mobile operators

8 Fixed-broadband market

8.1 Market analysis
8.2 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
8.3 Other fixed broadband services

9 Telecommunications infrastructure

9.1 Overview of the national telecom network
9.2 Historical overview
9.3 International infrastructure

10 Fixed network operator

10.1 Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company (ITPC)

11 Smart infrastructure

11.1 E-Commerce
11.2 M-payments, m-banking and e-banking

12 Appendix historic data

13 Glossary of abbreviations

14 Related reports

Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Iraq 2021 (e)
Table 2 Iraq - GDP and inflation 2012 2021
Table 3 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 4 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2014 2027
Table 5 Change in the mobile market share of subscribers by operator 2012 2020
Table 6 Development of Asiacell's financial data (QAR billion) 2012 2021
Table 7 Development of Asiacell's financial data (IQD billion) 2012 2021
Table 8 Change in the number of Asiacell's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Table 9 Development of Asiacell's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Table 10 Development of Zain Iraq's financial data ($ billion) 2012 2021
Table 11 Development of Zain Iraq's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Table 12 Change in the number of Zain Iraq's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Table 13 Zain Iraq's mobile prepaid and postpaid subscribers (million) 2012 2021
Table 14 Change in the market share of Zain Iraq's prepaid and postpaid subscribers 2012 2021
Table 15 Change in Zain Iraq's average mobile data traffic 2012 2020
Table 16 Change in the number of Korek Telecom's mobile subscribers 2013 2020
Table 17 Internet users and penetration 2012 2018
Table 18 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2017 2027
Table 19 Growth in fixed and mobile internet traffic (EB / month) 2017 2020
Table 20 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity - 2012 2027
Table 21 Historic - Iraq - fixed lines in service and teledensity - 1990 2011
Table 22 Historic - Iraq - Internet user penetration and estimates 2001 2011
Table 23 Historic - Iraq - mobile subscribers and penetration rate 2002 2011
Table 24 Historic - Zain Iraq mobile subscribers 2006 2011
Table 25 Historic - Zain Iraq financial data (US$ billion) 2008 2011
Table 26 Historic - Iraq - mobile operator market shares 2004 2011
Table 27 Historic - Asiacell subscribers 2006 2011
Table 28 Historic - Iraq - GDP and inflation 1998 2011
Table 29 Historic - Zain Iraq ARPU 2008 2011
Table 30 Historic - Asiacell financial data (QAR billion) 2007 2011
Chart 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in the Middle East
Chart 2 Middle East Telecoms Maturity Index global ranking
Chart 3 Middle East Telecoms Maturity Index by country
Chart 4 Middle East - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 Middle East Mobile subscriber versus mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 Middle East Fixed broadband penetration versus mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 8 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2014 2027
Chart 9 Change in the mobile market share of subscribers by operator 2012 2020
Chart 10 Development of Asiacell's financial data 2012 2021
Chart 11 Development of Asiacell's financial data (IQD) 2012 2021
Chart 12 Change in the number of Asiacell's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 13 Development of Asiacell's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Chart 14 Development of Zain Iraq's financial data 2012 2021
Chart 15 Development of Zain Iraq's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Chart 16 Change in the number of Zain Iraq's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 17 Zain Iraq's mobile prepaid and postpaid subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 18 Change in the market share of Zain Iraq's prepaid and postpaid subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 19 Change in Zain Iraq's average mobile data traffic 2012 2020
Chart 20 Internet users and penetration 2012 2018
Chart 21 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2017 2027
Chart 22 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity - 2012 2027
Exhibit 1 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 2 Middle East Market leaders and market developments
Exhibit 3 Middle East Market challengers and market developments
Exhibit 4 Middle East Market emergents and market developments
Exhibit 5 Background information - Orascom Telecom Iraq Corporation/Iraqna