Iraq vs. Jordan
Telecommunications
| Iraq | Jordan | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 2,859,094 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7.52 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 355,537 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3.33 (2019 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 37,224,759 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 97.96 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 7,778,770 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 72.91 (2019 est.) |
| Internet country code | .iq | .jo |
| Internet users | total: 18,364,390 percent of population: 49.36% (July 2018 est.) | total: 6,985,174 percent of population: 66.79% (July 2018 est.) |
| Telecommunication systems | general assessment: the 2003 liberation of Iraq severely disrupted telecommunications throughout the country; widespread government efforts to rebuild domestic and international communications have slowed due to political unrest; recent efforts create stability and developments in 4G and 5G technologies; operators focus on installations of new fiber-optic cables and growth in mobile broadband subscribers; the most popular plans are pre-paid; operators focused on fixing and replacing networks (2020) (2020)domestic: the mobile cellular market continues to expand; 3G services offered by three major mobile operators; 4G offered by one operator in Iraqi; conflict has destroyed infrastructure in areas; 7 per 100 for fixed-line and 95 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2019) international: country code - 964; landing points for FALCON, and GBICS/MENA submarine cables providing connections to the Middle East, Africa and India; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region, and 1 Arabsat (inoperative)); local microwave radio relay connects border regions to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments | general assessment: Jordan is host to a growing number of ICT companies and has emerged as a technology start-up hub for the Middle East; recently focused on telecom solutions to pandemic issues such as e-health and education; progress in the digital financial services; economic goals rely on digital economy, developed mobile sector, and extensive LTE infrastructure; preparation for 5G and e-commerce; importer of broadcasting equipment from Vietnam and China (2021) (2020)domestic: 1995 a telecommunications law opened all non-fixed-line services to private competition; in 2005, the monopoly over fixed-line services terminated and the entire telecommunications sector was opened to competition; currently fixed-line 4 per 100 persons and multiple mobile-cellular providers with subscribership up to 77 per 100 persons (2019) international: country code - 962; landing point for the FEA and Taba-Aqaba submarine cable networks providing connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Asia; satellite earth stations - 33 (3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments |
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 4,559,053 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2019 est.) | total: 457,496 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4.29 (2019 est.) |
| Broadcast media | the number of private radio and TV stations has increased rapidly since 2003; government-owned TV and radio stations are operated by the publicly funded Iraqi Media Network; private broadcast media are mostly linked to political, ethnic, or religious groups; satellite TV is available to an estimated 70% of viewers and many of the broadcasters are based abroad; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are accessible (2019) | radio and TV dominated by the government-owned Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) that operates a main network, a sports network, a film network, and a satellite channel; first independent TV broadcaster aired in 2007; international satellite TV and Israeli and Syrian TV broadcasts are available; roughly 30 radio stations with JRTV operating the main government-owned station; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available |
Source: CIA Factbook
