Iraq’s Minister of Communications, Dr. Hayam Al-Yasiri, announced that the Cabinet has approved British multinational Vodafone to operate the country’s national 5G mobile license.
This decision follows recommendations from the Ministry’s negotiation team. The Ministry will now officially notify Vodafone to begin talks on a memorandum of understanding (MoU), which will outline the initial steps for implementing the 5G project. Dr. Al-Yasiri emphasized that Vodafone’s global reputation, its expertise in 5G technology, and its established presence in the Middle East were key reasons behind the selection.
The fully state-owned project aims to bring advanced telecom services to Iraq, increase national revenues, align with global technological trends, and provide opportunities for young Iraqis. Vodafone has expressed its readiness to work with Iraq to ensure the project’s success.
Last year, the Iraqi Cabinet had agreed that the Communications and Media Commission (CMC) would grant a three-year exclusive national license for 5G mobile technology to Al-Salam State Company, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Communications. This week, Al-Salam also made headlines for blocking access to the IMDb movie database, citing moral grounds.
