Telecommunications in Iraq include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet as well as the postal system.

The number of private radio and TV stations has increased rapidly since 2003.^[1] Iraqis get much of their news from TV. Radio listening has declined in tandem with the rise of TV. For private media, advertising revenues seldom produce a reliable income.^[2]

• Radio stations:
  • government-owned radio stations are operated by the publicly funded Iraqi Public Broadcasting Service; private broadcast media are mostly linked to political, ethnic, or religious groups; transmissions of multiple international radio broadcasters are available (2007);^[1]
  • ~80 stations (2004).
• Television stations:
  • government-owned TV stations are operated by the publicly funded Iraqi Public Broadcasting Service; 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 (2007);^[1]
  • ~21 stations (2004).
• Radios: ~4.6 million (1997).^{[needs update]}
• Television sets: ~1.8 million television sets (1997). It has been reported that 88% of households in Iraq have television (2004).^[3]

During the reign ofSaddam Hussein, broadcasting was largely the domain of theIraqi Broadcasting and Television Establishment (IBTE). The IBTE, in turn, was dominated by the Ministry of Information. The IBTE often broadcast programming favorable toward Saddam Hussein, including music videos praising him and poetry readings when the station was down. Most IBTE transmitters were in the Baghdad area with a few regional stations. The IBTE aired formerCBS reporterDan Rather's interview with Saddam Hussein, as well as the news fromBaghdad Bob during the run up to the2003 invasion of Iraq. After the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the IBTE was dissolved.^[4][5][6]

The current regulator is theIraqi Communications and Media Commission,^[7] and the public broadcaster is theIraqi Media Network,^[8] successor to theCoalition Provisional Authority's and several other radio and television stations. The Iraqi Media Network currently operates the Radio of the Republic of Iraq and the government supportedal-Iraqiya TV station. Many private TV stations are also available, such as the popularAl Sharqiya. Up to 97% of homes have a satellite dish and there are more than 30 Iraq-facing satellite networks. Iraqi radio stations showcase the diversity of popular opinion, from hard-line Islamic fundamentalism toRadio Sawa, politically oriented stations, and stations featuring content appealing to Kurdish listeners. In the northern autonomous Kurdish enclaves, rival political factions operate their own media.^[2]

TheBBC World Service broadcasts in Iraq, as does theAmerican Forces Network (AFN) andBritish Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS). Other foreign radio stations operating within Iraq include the UAE'sMiddle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC), Paris-basedMonte Carlo Doualiya, Moyen-Orient, andRadio France International (RFI).^[2]

• Calling code: +964^[1]
• International call prefix: 00^[9]
• Main lines:
  • 1.9 million main lines in use, 62nd in the world (2012);^[1]
  • 833,000 lines in use (2005).
• Mobile cellular:
  • 38.22 million (2019)^[10]
  • 26.8 million lines, 40th in the world (2012);^[1]
  •  9.0 million lines (2005).
• Telephone system:Iraq War of 2003 severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq including international connections; repairs to switches and lines destroyed during 2003 continue; widespread government efforts to rebuild domestic and international communications through fiber optic links are in progress; the mobile cellular market has expanded rapidly to some 27 million subscribers at the end of 2012; since 2007 threeGSM operators since have expanded beyond their regional roots and offer near country-wide access tosecond-generation services;third-generation mobile services are not available nationwide;wireless local loop is available in some metropolitan areas and additional licenses have been issued with the hope of overcoming the lack of fixed-line infrastructure; localmicrowave radio relay connects border regions to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; international terrestrial fiber-optic connections have been established with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait, Jordan, and Iran (2011).^[1]
• Communications cables: links to theFiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) /FALCON, and theGulf Bridge International (GBI),^[1] and TGN-Gulf^[11] international submarine fiber-optic cables have been established (2011).
• Satellite earth stations: 2Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1Indian Ocean, 1Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1Arabsat (inoperative) (2011).^[1]

The2003 Iraq War severely disrupted telecommunications throughout Iraq, including international connections. TheIraq Reconstruction Management Office (IRMO) under theU.S. State Department assisted theIraqi Ministry of Communications by advising on the repair of switching capability and helping to devise the regulatory framework and licensing regimes for construction of mobile and satellite communications facilities. Many people and companies were involved in the reconstruction including private and public telecommunications companies from theUnited States,China,Turkey, and theMiddle East. Special recognition must be given to the government ofJapan and theWorld Bank Group for funding the first national microwave networks. Most credit goes to the staff of the Ministry of Communications and their operating personnel, and the numerous large and small service providers, who persevere under difficult working conditions.USAID funded several IT training programs with excellent international specialists as trainers and teachers.^{[citation needed]}

Today the system has undergone a remarkable transformation with high rates of annual investment and a functioning regulatory system, that is not quite independent of the political process, but still provides the framework for a competitive telecommunications regime. In 2013-2014 the system is under stress from renewed fighting between different political factions in Iraq.

• Top-level domain:.iq^[1]
• Internet users:
  • 43 million users (2024)^[10]
  • 2.2 million users, 87th in the world; 7.1% of the population, 179th in the world (2012).^[12][13]
  • 325,900 users, 126th in the world (2009).^[1]
• Fixed broadband: Unknown (2012).^[12][14]
• Wireless broadband: Unknown (2012).^[15]
• Internet hosts: 26 hosts, 218th in the world (2012).^[1]
• IPv4: 243,712 addresses allocated, 108th in the world, less than 0.05% of the world total, 7.8 addresses per 1000 people (2012).^[16][17]

Under the government ofSaddam Hussein,Internet access was tightly controlled and very few people were thought to be online; in 2002 it was estimated that only 25,000 Iraqis used the Internet. With his ouster, Internet usage has become commonplace.Uruklink, originally the sole IraqiInternet service provider, now faces competition from other ISPs, including broadbandsatellite Internet access services from both Middle East and EuropeanVSAT hubs. The primary military telecom service provider in Iraq isTs 2.^[18] Since 2006 several more companies have emerged to provide options to individual Iraqis that make Internet access more affordable, albeit with less bandwidth. One such business is Advanced Technology Systems-Iraq (ATS-Iraq).^[19]

In August 2009 theOpenNet Initiative found no evidence of Internet filtering in Iraq in all four of the areas for which they test (political, social, conflict/security, and Internet tools).^[20]

There are no overt government restrictions on access to the Internet or official acknowledgement that the government monitorse-mail or Internetchat rooms without judicial oversight. NGOs report that the government could and was widely believed to monitor e‑mail, chat rooms, and social media sites through local Internet service providers.^[21]

The constitution broadly provides for the right offree expression, provided it does not violate public order and morality or express support for the bannedBaath Party or for altering the country's borders by violent means. In practice the main limitation on individual and media exercise of these rights isself-censorship due to real fear of reprisals by the government, political parties, ethnic and sectarian forces, terrorist and extremist groups, or criminal gangs.Libel anddefamation are offenses under the penal law and the 1968 Publications Law with penalties of up to seven years' imprisonment for publicly insulting the government.^[21]

After the release and media amplification of the controversial "Innocence of Muslims" Internet video in September 2012, Christian groups reported an increase in death threats. One militant group called the Brigade of the Straight Path issued an ultimatum to Christians inMosul to leave or be killed. The government provided additional security in Christian neighborhoods following the threat. There were no deaths or attacks related to the threat, and the government reduced security to normal levels by the end of 2012.^[21]

The constitution mandates that authorities may not enter or search homes except with a judicial order. The constitution also prohibits arbitrary interference with privacy. In practice security forces often entered homes without search warrants and took other measures interfering with privacy, family, and correspondence.^[21]

In 2011 when a documentary filmmaker and author of a prominentblog organized the video coverage of peaceful protests over the Internet via a short, nonsubscription messaging service, he was beaten on 22 April and again on 22 July, allegedly by individuals in civilian clothing linked to the security forces and by army officers as he attempted to videotape demonstrations inTahrir Square for his blog. He went into hiding, and a few days after the second attack police searched his house. He later resumed blogging.^[22]

As part of the post-invasion social and economic infrastructure reconstruction program, a contract worth $55 million was awarded to study thepostal system in Iraq. ThePostal system of Iraq was organized following that study.^{[citation needed]}

• Iraqi Telecommunications and Post Company
• Iraqi Post
• Iraq Telecom Facts

•  This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook (2025 ed.).CIA. (Archived 2014 edition.)
•  This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Department of State.

• Uruklink, Iraq state company for Internet Services.
• Geography and map of IraqArchived 2008-12-11 at theWayback Machine, Geography About.com.
• Iraq profile,BBC News.
• LiveLink Internet Service Provider Communication,
• ScopeSky Communication,

• Telecommunications in Iraq
• Internet in Iraq
• Internet censorship by country

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