Page 74 - SAMENA Trends - September 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Iran

The newly installed Minister of ICT says he expects the country’s a closed national intranet of locally made, government endorsed
National Information Network (NIN) project to be complete within Islamic content, which will sit alongside the World Wide Web.
four years. A report cites Isa Zarepour as saying: ‘After around two Critics say, however, that the government could use it to replace
decades of foot-dragging, it is finally time to give the initiative one the wider internet, effectively cutting off many citizens from the
last push.’ The NIN scheme was first proposed by the government outside world.
in 2005, but work did not start until 2013. The aim is to establish (September 1, 2021) The Financial Tribune

Iraq

The Head of the Communications and Media Commission (CMC), 80% of Iraqis have access to the Internet.” “We have not reached
Ali Moayad, said that 80% of the population in Iraq has internet an ideal state, and 4G service needs more work to reach stability
access. Moayad spoke during the Al-Rafidain Center for Dialogue, due to the ISIS war.” He added.
saying, “we have 39 million users of telecommunications, and (September 5, 2021) shafaq.com

Nepal

Internet penetration in Nepal has reached 102 per cent of largest contributors as their number is 10.04 million followed by
the country's population, according to a report of the Nepal 2.46 million Ncell users. The contribution of fixed broadband is
Telecommunications Authority. The state-owned NTA prepared 25.66 per cent with 700,285 users of ADSL and more than 727,000
the report on the basis of population projection (2011-2030). FTTH internet users. Likewise, the number of 4G service users
The report was prepared by assuming that Nepal's population has increased in recent days. The NTA stated that the number of
would be 29.87 million. As per the NTA report, almost 31 million 4G users was almost 10 million till the end of the last fiscal year
population was connected to internet facility till the end of the last (15 July 2021). It is said that Nepal Telecom has 4.74 million 4G
fiscal year. The report further states that mobile internet has the users and the number of NT users has increased sharply lately.
largest contribution to the internet penetration in the country. Till Likewise, Ncell has more than 5 million 4G users while the number
July 15, the contribution of mobile internet alone was 76.03 per of 4G users of Smart Telecom is 166,000.
cent, while more than 12.89 million population has access to 3G (September 13, 2021) thehimalayantimes.com
internet service. Among them, the users of Nepal Telecom are the

Oman

The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information clarifications, you may contact the Accreditation Team at MTCIT
Technology (MTCIT) has released the second batch of information through the email address MTCIT launched the IT Accreditation
technology service standards under the accreditation program program at the end of 2019 to accredit IT service providers eligible
for information technology service providers. "MTCIT would like to serve government administrative units. IT service providers are
to announce the second phase of the accreditation program to accredited based on national standards prescribed by MTCIT in
allow the providers of these services to prepare for it. This phase line with the international best practices, the Ministry said. The IT
includes standards in the following areas Managed Security services covered in the program include IT Consultation, Solution
Services and Professional Security Services," the Ministry said in development and implementation, Information and cyber security,
a statement. The accreditation for these services will start in the and Hosting services. The first phase covered a batch of two
first quarter of 2022. The service providers can find the published services: Security Assessment services and Cloud and Hosting
accreditation standards and the application process for the services.(September 22, 2021) timesofoman.com
program on the Ministry’s official website: For further inquiries and
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