Isai Zarepour, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, published an article on the Iranian social network on Shenhab Day and wrote: After several months of monitoring, the Radio Regulatory Council of the International Union of Telecommunications (RRB) ordered SpaceX to comply with the laws and regulations of our country. Provide its own satellite Internet services.
In an exclusive interview with IRNA, the Deputy Minister of Communications and head of the regulatory organization said about the process of negotiations with the Radio Regulatory Board or RRB regarding the provision of satellite Internet in the country: There are laws regarding satellite Internet that have been approved. by the Supreme Cyberspace Council.
After the Minister of Communications' speech regarding the reception of satellite Internet activities in the country, such as Starlink (SpaceX) services in Khordad 1402, the Regulatory and Radiocommunication Organization issued a call stating that companies willing to provide satellite communications services are preparing
After that, companies active in this field and with the possibility of providing communication services on the satellite platform participated in the call to serve users in compliance with territorial laws and rights.
So far we have received applications in this direction and we are preparing the start of cooperation.
"Amir Lajurdi" pointed out: Regarding the provision of Starlink satellite Internet in the country, we have raised questions in the Radio Regulatory Board (RRB), which is a subsidiary of the International Telecommunications Union ( ITU). At the first meeting in April 1402, we presented to the RRB the first documents regarding SpaceX's activities in Iran and requested cooperation of this company and service with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During this meeting, the Radio Regulatory Board asked us to provide them with more detailed documents and information for the next meeting.
Regarding the details of the second meeting held in July, the Deputy Minister of Communications added: We have provided the requested documents to the RRB with the cooperation of various institutions. After reviewing our data and documents, they announced to the country where Starlink satellite systems are registered that it would cooperate as soon as possible with the Islamic Republic of Iran on how to provide services. In the second meeting, they also asked us to explain to them some ambiguities regarding the functioning of this service in the country by providing them with solid documentation for the next meeting.
The head of the regulator said: In September 1402, we prepared and sent the information they needed and added additional information to it until the last moment.
The evidence was so detailed and comprehensive that it was approved yesterday at the third meeting that SpaceX and the country registering the satellite systems should immediately cooperate with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In addition to this task, they also raised questions that we will provide answers to in the next session.
Lajordi emphasized: A large part of the documents we presented to this union are linked to international laws, and since this activity began without coordination and cooperation between the two countries, it is considered a violation of the laws. Emphasizing that the Ministry of Communications welcomes the provision of satellite Internet in the country, he added: The use of this technology is necessary in certain regions of the country, and this issue should be implemented in the form of cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran. in accordance with the ITU resolution and guidelines.
Regarding when to provide satellite Internet to Iranian users, Lajordi said: the process of providing this service is related to the type of cooperation of the operator providing the service.
We are now in the phase of the first tests of the service with the operator who is a satellite Internet access provider and who expressed his desire to cooperate by participating in the call.
The SpaceX company must also undertake the necessary cooperation within the framework of the file approved yesterday for our cooperation to take shape.
The head of the regulator explained to IRNA who the end users of this service are: the technology is improving every day.
Until some time ago, equipment such as a receiver was required to access the Internet via satellite; But now in some mobile phones the conditions are ready to receive satellite Internet and in the future we will see that sending, receiving and establishing communications with satellite Internet without the need for any equipment Additional service outside of the user's phone will be provided.
Today, in some parts of the country, we are using satellite service to expand the rural network or transmission network until mobile network and optical fiber are available for this sector.
Stating that the use of satellite internet within the laws of the country can lead to the rapid implementation of projects such as the development of rural internet and optical fiber, he said regarding the development regulations for the use of satellite Internet: regulations related to this technology have already been implemented in the country.
In 2017 we discussed the principles governing satellite operators, and in 2019 we discussed territorial laws and the principles governing them. When this technology enters the country, there will not be much difference or change in the laws, and we hope that satellite operators will start their cooperation with the regulatory body in the form of the same regulations.
Some believe that the decisions approved by the World Telecommunications Union are not so important that countries are obliged to comply with them 100%, but Lajordi added: although it is not possible to say with certainty whether SpaceX will respect this decision or not, but the ITU is an agency in which countries have changed due to their interests, and certainly if they do not respect the rules, while they themselves have problems in the area of telecommunications laws, they cannot hope to address their complaints. RRB threatens some countries that if they do not accept the regulations, they will be deprived of the right to vote or the services that this union provides, which creates serious challenges for them.
The Deputy Minister of Communications explained whether satellite Internet can limit the activities of operators or reduce the need of countries for optical fiber projects and gradually replace these technologies: Today, more than 40 billion dollars have been invested in the development of optical fiber in the United States of America.Services such as satellite Internet will never be able to replace fiber optics. We believe that the fiber optic project is the infrastructure of the coming decades.
In Japan, technology labs now offer speeds in excess of a few terabits per second thanks to fiber optic infrastructure.
He said: Optical fiber is an infrastructure that has successfully passed its test and will be available to the user over the coming decades. An infrastructure with low energy consumption and high stability and reliability.
Satellite services are less stable than services based on fixed communications. This is why we cannot say that this service replaces another service.
Lajordi emphasized: Of course, one of the things we are always looking for is to create a competitive advantage in the provision of fiber-based services; Because they are reasonably priced and the quality is high, and with the entry of many competitors, better and more current conditions can be provided.
The Deputy Minister of Communications added: "Not only our experience, but also global experience shows that satellite or mobile services will never be able to replace fixed communications."
In Iran, due to incorrect consumption patterns, the ratio of mobile traffic to fixed traffic is 70 to 30; While in other countries this ratio is completely opposite.
We are also preparing the infrastructure to bring the fixed-to-mobile traffic ratio closer to the global standard.