BMI Industry View

BMI View: Iran's telecoms market is an underperformer in the Middle East as a result of political and economic risks, exacerbated by currency depreciation, which is limiting access to the latest devices. Furthermore, the Iranian government is keen to restrict access to international internet content, creating a national internet network that will bypass international gateways and cut off large swathes of global content. For this, the government began talks with the Chinese government in early 2014. That said, over the medium term there is catch-up potential in Iran, and its large and young population should make it one of the most attractive telecoms markets in the Middle East.