Iran Develops Phone System in West Azarbayjan

Text of report by Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran West Azarbayjan Provincial TV on 4 February

On the occasion of Ten Days of Dawn [anniversary of the Islamic Revolution] 428 telecommunication projects, with allocated budget of over 190bn rials [20.5 million dollars], will be inaugurated in West Azarbayjan.

Speaking at the opening ceremonies of the telecommunication projects in Maku, the deputy head of the provincial telecommunication company for planning, development and engineering said that developing landline systems, mobile services in the rural areas, long distance telephone systems, telephone offices and mobile service expansion were among of the projects to be launched.

Kazem Yazdani pointed to the 157,000 landline telephones that have been supplied in the province from the beginning of the current year [21 March 06] and said that the growth rate of the landline telephones was 28.81 per cent in West Azarbayjan. He added that the rate would be five per cent more than last year’s figure at the end of the year [21 March 07].

He said that 176,753 mobile phone lines had been supplied in the province and added that by the end of the month of Bahman [19 February 07] when the rest of the scheduled mobile lines would be accessible, the growth rate of the mobile phones in the province would raise to 15.69 per cent.

Yazdani said that to date 1,851 villages in West Azarbayjan were provided by telephone systems.

[Presenter-read report over video showing the official and telecommunication facilities]

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