Iraq recorded a sharp rise in fiber-optic internet adoption in 2024, with subscriptions increasing by more than 410 percent, according to new data from the Iraqi Commission of Statistics and Geographic Information Systems. The number of fiber users jumped from 216,800 in 2023 to around 1.1 million by the end of 2024, reflecting the impact of the country’s expanding Fiber to the Home (FTTH) and Next Generation Network infrastructure.
The surge is linked to Iraq’s ongoing rollout of integrated networks that combine voice, data, and video services on a single platform. Baghdad led the national uptake with 253,080 FTTH subscribers, representing nearly 23 percent of all fiber users across the country. Excluding the Kurdistan Region, total FTTH subscriptions across other provinces reached 716,388.
However, adoption remains uneven across regions. Southern provinces continue to show limited fiber penetration, with Dhi Qar reporting zero FTTH subscribers, Muthanna recording just 533, and Maysan registering 5,278 users. This highlights persistent infrastructure and investment gaps outside major urban centers.
Despite the rapid growth of fixed fiber, mobile internet continues to dominate Iraq’s connectivity landscape. The country recorded nearly 21.4 million mobile internet subscribers in 2024. Baghdad led with 5.2 million users, followed by Basra with 1.7 million and Nineveh with 1.4 million. In the Kurdistan Region, Al-Sulaymaniyah surpassed 1 million mobile subscribers, while Erbil recorded 586,704.
Infrastructure data shows that Zain and Asiacell, Iraq’s two largest mobile operators, collectively operate more than 7 million 4G towers nationwide. Baghdad alone hosts approximately 2.5 million of these towers, underscoring its position as the country’s primary connectivity hub.
