During this ever-accelerating world, the internet is no longer a luxury, but an essential need. The Iraq Internet National Project was built to catch up with the rapid development of modern technology and with the ever-increasing demand for data and the internet. 

This project is meant to provide an advanced infrastructure for the network that can handle the large amount of internet capacity needed to build effective economic, governmental, and security-related solutions. 

What are the goals and benefits of the project?

The Iraq Internet National Project will build a new digital platform on an infrastructure of optical fiber cables with massive capacities. This thing will help Iraq in building a secure governmental network that will work as a foundation for efficient e-government.

Plus, the project aims to provide high-speed low-cost internet for the Iraqi people. And to add to all that, the project will connect Iraq with the digital world since the project will work as a transit path for the internet.

The Iraq Internet National Project aims at putting Iraq in the same rank as the advanced countries. This can be achieved by providing an environment that helps Iraq in becoming a source for data. Doing this will make Iraq a producer of knowledge and not a mere recipient. 

This work will be the main pillar for economical and social development. Plus, this will enhance Iraq’s security and defense system by providing the necessary infrastructure. 

Who is responsible for this project?

The Ministry of Communications of Iraq will be running the project represented by ITPC in partnership with (Earthlink and Symphony), not to mention Cisco and Nokia which provide the project with cutting-edge devices, technology, and support. 

The project is also proud of the 100 percent Iraqi team. The team was responsible for the planning, design, and implementation of this giant undertaking. the staff with the benefit of their combined expertise in engineering, administration, and other disciplines and performed outstandingly. The Iraqi staff has demonstrated their high creditworthiness by keeping to the work schedule and completing the project in record time, despite facing obstacles and constraints designed to impede their progress.

Revenues and benefits of The Iraqi National Project

Through the Ministry of Communication, the Iraqi government will collect 17 percent of total revenue (not the profit). In addition, 20 percent of total revenue will be collected by the Ministry of Finance as sales taxes, with another three percent as income tax. The total amount will then be 40 percent of the total revenue, which represents about 80 percent of the net profit.

The project will contribute to the development of Iraq’s industry, retail, and service sectors, providing the backbone for projects connected with fiber-optic access, E-governance, and data centers. And opening thousands of job opportunities for young Iraqis. Jobs will be direct by working on the project, or indirect by preparing the ground for new kinds of business to thrive, enabling Iraq to keep pace with developments around the globe thanks to its super-fast internet and competitive pricing.

The project will generate considerable revenue and thus strengthen the Iraqi economy. With the international portal for large data capacities passing through the country. Iraq will benefit from a new economic resource for the first time – previously. the Internet’s fiber-optic cables traveled under the sea to the Persian Gulf than to the Red Sea and Egypt. Or they could be extended around Africa. 

These cables are very hard to maintain and take a long time to fix when they break. Because they are located on the bottom of the sea—sometimes it can take weeks to repair the underwater cable. But this new network is about to add new land paths to the current submarine network, and it will increase the number of paths that link Europe to the Middle East and then to the Far East.

The project will enhance Iraq’s position as a leading country in the technology market. Activating international traffic transit is also a valuable addition to Iraqi national security. Because it is now in the interest of all the world’s countries to protect Iraq and the security of the data path that connects economic interests around the globe.

It will also provide full infrastructure for establishing and activating government. Which will help simplify government procedures and connect all the state institutions within one secure network, which is what the country currently lacks?

The project will help in building a secure infrastructure for the national defense And security sectors and will provide the infrastructure for security surveillance system cameras and reduce the cost of the system by 70 percent.

The project will establish a series of giant data centers that will enable Iraq to start producing information and knowledge.

Local traffic capacities and the internal metro network. Which will open the door to many applications in healthcare, education, and E-government, in addition to having a refreshing effect on commercial applications?

Provide the basic infrastructure for mobile phone operators, enabling 4G and next-generation technologies.

Increase Iraq’s GDP and income per capita in proportion to the increase in internet speed. According to many studies and data from the international bank and other organizations.

Description and Quality Standards

• The project uses state-of-the-art technologies in the field of fiber optics networks, in partnership with Cisco, the world’s leading company in the field. Thus guaranteeing the highest level of quality standards, and the largest capacity of data transfer with DWDM technology.
• A total of 109 transmitting switches are distributed around the country to ensure the service is delivered to all the cities of Iraq.
• Cables are placed three meters underground—twice as deep as in other parts of the world—for greater protection and to prevent potential disruption caused by work on other sections of the infrastructure.
• Employing the world’s finest fiber optics products, provided by Corning Inc., the leading provider in the field.
• The latest electricity generators are designed to work perfectly under Iraqi weather conditions. A high-capacity DC power supply ensures that devices operate for 10 hours at a stretch in any location—including in emergencies—with no need for an external source. And with auto fire fighting systems installed in all important locations to ensure the safety of devices and to keep them running under extreme conditions.
• The project’s data centers were implemented with fireproof inflammable materials by US and European specifications.
• High standards of protection and safety.
• An alternative device is provided for each phase of data transmission.
• Multiple paths of fiber optic cable, to ensure the stability of the services in the event of concurrent cuts.
• Support for Software-Defined Network.
• Integration with the international access gates of the Ministry of Communications.
• Fiber optics technology is considered the most environmentally friendly technology, unlike electromagnetic waves, as currently used with wireless data.