Internet Connections
The information on the internet providers are directly taken from The Internet in Iran, A survey. For a comprehensive overview of internet activities, refer to this site which is updated on periodic basis.
Commercial Internet access is available through four primary Internet service providers: Data Communication Company of Iran, Neda Rayaneh Institute, Virayeshgar Corporation, and Pars Supaleh.
Data Communication of Iran (DCI) provides Internet services for individual and legal entities. DCI provides Internet access throughout the country via the nationwide IRANPAK X.25 Packet Switching network, covering almost all major cities in Iran.The network was designed to handle some 20,000 subscribers. DCI is the only online service provider with a permit for supplying to the government agencies.
DCI initial subscription rate of Iranian Rial (IR) 250,000 ($143), Usage per minute = IR350 ($0.20), Receiving information = IR35 ($0.02). 7
DCI is also in the process of establishing a VSAT link with GULFSAT in Kuwait (GULFSAT is the world's largest satellite data communications teleport. A VSAT hub, operated in association with GULFSAT, provides satellite-delivered international data, telephone and video communications services to local and international subscribers such as DCI).8
DCI provides both dial-up and leased lines to its users. Leased lines with a speed of 9600 bps cost 40,000 rials ($22.86) per month plus a deposit of two million rials ($1,143). In addition to this there are per minute charges of 20 rials ($0.011) for domestic calls and 35 rials ($0.02) for international calls. Each bit of data sent costs one rial ($0.0002) domestically and 25 rials ($0.014) internationally. Dial-up lines are cheaper: 5,000 rials ($2.86) per month and a 500,000-rial ($286) deposit, plus the usual connection time and volume charges.9
It is estimated that there are about 1,000 users on DCI's network, though no official figures are available. According to a DCI study, more than 92% of government and industrial entities are in need of wide area networks to communicate with their various branches and affiliates throughout Iran. Various large governmental organizations (National Iranian Oil Company, Iran Air, Budget and Planning Organization of Iran, and the Ministry of Energy) have, with DCI's help, set up such networks with outside access to various databanks. The other 10% of governmental and/or industrial organizations are projected to additionally have the need for full Internet access.10
Neda Rayaneh Institute (NRI) is Iran's largest online service and Internet access provider. Neda can be accessed from abroad. The only charge is for using Internet email and offline Internet services. The charge for an individual account is 300,000 rials ($171) annually, Internet offline email 50,000 rials ($28)/200 KB.
Neda's services include:
Virayeshgar Corporation (Vira) is a Tehran based software engineering firm that also provides Internet email service. Vira's one-time registration fee is 200,000 rials ($114) and it charges 2,200 rials ($1.26) per each mail sent or received (about 1 kb in size).11
Pars Supaleh's primary users are the government agencies. The services are provided through a link to the AT&T Network in The Netherlands. Monthly subscription fees are 200,000 rials ($144), plus 400,000 ($229) one-time fee for communication software and training.12
Other Internet Activities and Host Sites
PANDA is the primary provider of advertisements, its rates are as follows: Initial subscription rate of IR 120,000 ($69), Line of credit (charged per minute of usage) of IR80 ($.05).
Intrasat Business Services (IBS) provides international Internet connections.
Outside the government, the Center for Research and Atomic Science, (Markaz Tahgheghat Physic Nazaree) and most of the universities have Internet host sites.
As of January 1996 there were at least 500 registered Internet domains with valid IP addresses in Iran. It is estimated that at least 60,000 people have in one way or another used Internet services provided through IPM or other providers in Iran.13
The Iranian academic Internet link is via two 9600 baud lines from IPM's Microvax 3100/20E to its sister institution at the University of Vienna in Austria. The internal Iranian academic network consists of a series of mostly leased, (but some dialup) 9600 baud lines. The resulting congestion, coupled with various routing problems in Vienna, has imposed a heavy burden on the slow link to Austria. With line limitation of six people at once--patience is the name of the game. 14
Tehran's mayor office maintains a bulletin board and has an E-mail system, but exchanges are always delayed at least 24 hours.
Additional Notes
The academic, government and industry sites have direct Internet access: (Through Institute for Theoretical Physics and Mathematics (IPM) or Data Communication Company of Iran (DCI)). IPM serves various sites through leased lines. DCI uses the nationwide X.25 network. While many of the sites have the computer facilities, only a select have Internet connections. 15
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Author: Sepideh Khazai
Last Update: June 14, 1997
This pages's URL is: http://gurukul.ucc.american.edu/initeb/sk4484a/internet.htm