The state-owned Iraqi Telecommunications and Posts Company is the sole provider of telephone and postal services in Iraq. The country has 4 telephones per 100 inhabitants, considerably below the regional norm. Connectivity between the provinces is poor. Most of the exchanges date back to 1970’s with little modern equipment.

The postal delivery is slow and irregular. International mail has been delivered mainly through land transport via Jordan or Turkey. Mail exchange agreements have been signed with Kuwait, Jordan and few others.

Under the previous regime, telephone access was a privilege that was awarded to the few. To make phone service more widely available, private sector investment in competitive services and networks is encouraged. The Communications Minister announced the winners of the competition for mobile licenses. The northern region license was awarded to Asia-Cell, a Kurdish Iraqi company. The central region license was won by an Egyptian company, Orascom. A Kuwaiti company, Atheer, won the license for the South. Preparation of licenses is now under way and a start of service is expected in each region in November. Fiber optic trunk connections now are largely intact, with countrywide connectivity reliably established. Restoration of international links is well underway with a connection to an Intelsat satellite.