The Iraqi Ministry of Communications has unveiled two major initiatives aimed at modernizing the country’s digital infrastructure: the nationwide expansion of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services and the launch of a new international submarine cable link.
On August 27, Minister of Communications Dr. Hayam El-Yasri chaired a high-level meeting with representatives from Airtlink, Supercell, ViberX, and the ministry’s technical team. The discussions centered on accelerating Iraq’s fiber rollout, with plans to migrate subscribers to electronic systems through the National Data Center while phasing out Wi-Fi subscriptions. The strategy seeks to ensure fiber connectivity across all regions, including villages and rural communities, as part of Iraq’s long-term ICT modernization drive.
Parallel to this domestic effort, Iraq has signed the Sixth Marine Cable Unloading Contract at the Al-Fao Marine Unloading Station with a Bahraini partner company. The submarine cable, stretching from Singapore across multiple countries, will link into the “Iraqi Corridor” — a strategic initiative to channel international telecom traffic through Iraq toward Turkey and onward to Europe.
Minister El-Yasri highlighted that the project will not only expand internet capacity and improve service quality but also reduce consumer costs while enhancing Iraq’s role as a regional digital hub. By positioning the country as a critical transit point for global communications, the initiative carries both economic and geopolitical significance.
Together, the FTTH rollout and submarine cable project underscore Iraq’s commitment to digital transformation, strengthening its infrastructure, and integrating more deeply with global communication networks.
