Iraqi minister blames EarthLink for internet slowdown

BAGHDAD, October 4 — Iraqi Minister of Communications Hayam Al-Yasiri blamed the EarthLink telecommunications company on Tuesday for chronic service delays and sluggish internet speeds outside the Kurdistan region.

Al-Yasiri spoke with journalist Ahmad Mulla Talal and placed further blame on the company for the lack of 4G mobile network services. She said the company has been embroiled in conflict with the federal government since 2015 over a disabled submarine cable, which has resultied in data transmission delays.

The Minister said she was set to discuss this issue with Parliament on Wednesday.

“The internet enters Iraq through Turkey, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. The initial internet entry is through ports, and then it falls under the control of Iraqi authorities. The infrastructure here is under the Ministry’s jurisdiction, as the ports are a matter of sovereignty and represent the backbone of internet service. This is concerning home internet,” Al-Yasiri explained.

“EarthLink dominates 80% of the Iraqi market outside of Kurdistan…and it can weaken the service to shift the blame onto the Ministry. This is what is happening now, and EarthLink is behind this uproar,” she added.