Communications Minister vows to revive stalled 5G operator in Iraq

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq does not possess "national sovereignty" over its own telecommunications sector, Communications Minister Mustafa Sanad declared Tuesday, pointing to a court-ordered suspension as the primary obstacle blocking the country's planned state-owned 5G operator from entering the market.

Speaking to Shafaq News, Sanad said his ministry's most significant current project is a transit corridor that would route international internet traffic through Iraqi infrastructure, positioning the country as a regional data gateway.

He added that a national 5G license is ready for activation through a state-owned company designed to compete directly with Iraq's three existing mobile carriers —Asiacell, Zain Iraq, and Korek— all of which are majority-owned by foreign Arab entities.

The state-affiliated National Mobile Telecommunications Company (NMTC) was formally established under a cabinet resolution dated March 11, 2025, approved under then-Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. The company was structured as a joint venture with Vodafone and funded through contributions from the Communications Ministry, represented by Al-Salam General Company, the Iraqi Trade Bank, and the State Employees’ Pension Fund, with the stated objective of expanding the pension fund and providing subsidized services to retirees. A founding contract was signed on August 31, 2025.

Under a “Partner Market” framework, Vodafone was chosen as the technical and commercial collaborator, responsible for brand use, systems, and training—but without equity in the Iraqi venture, according to government briefings. In August, following political criticism, the ministry reiterated that no investment contract with Vodafone existed and that procedures were still in progress.

The project has since been halted. On October 13, 2025, former Communications Minister Hiyam Al-Yassiri —who held the post before Sanad— announced that a court order had suspended the signing of the company's licensing agreement with the Communications and Media Commission, following a complaint filed “by a lawmaker”. Sanad confirmed the order remains in effect and said his current mandate is to resolve the legal obstacle and restore the project.

Read more: Judicial freeze: Iraq's new national 5G carrier on hold