Rollout via FTTH

Iraq plans fiber-based landline comeback to advance telecom modernization

BAGHDAD — Landline phone service is poised to return in Iraq via the Fiber to the Home project, the Ministry of Communications announced Thursday, part of a nationwide effort to modernize the country’s telecommunications infrastructure.

Ali Yassin, director general of the General Company for Communications and Informatics, credited “unlimited support” from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Communications Minister Hayam Al-Yasiri for driving the progress. “The company has advanced in providing cutting-edge telecommunications services, starting with delivering fiber-optic cables to all government offices and ministries in Baghdad and the governorates,” Yassin said. “This marks the foundation for e-government.”

Yassin added that the FTTH project is central to Iraq’s digital transformation. “Among the services being implemented is fiber-optic internet, with more than 4 million lines installed and over 1 million already marketed,” he said. “We are currently moving forward to restore landline services through the FTTH project in the coming period.”

During a visit to Basra on May 23, 2024, Communications Minister Hayam Al-Yasiri emphasized that FTTH would replace Wi-Fi towers and lay the groundwork for the next generation of landlines in Iraq.

The FTTH initiative, launched by the Ministry of Communications in partnership with private-sector firms, aims to upgrade Iraq’s telecom infrastructure, bolster internet connectivity, and foster digital transformation. As of 2024, officials reported more than 3.5 million FTTH connections, though only about 700,000 are currently active.