Iraq plans to extend fiber-optic internet to 8 million homes

Shafaq News – Baghdad

More than eight million homes were not included in the country’s previous fiber-optic internet rollout plan, Iraq’s Ministry of Communications said on Sunday, promising that the shortfall will be addressed based on the results of the recent population census.

Ministry Undersecretary Buraq Abdul Qader told Shafaq News, the fiber-optic network has so far reached around four million homes nationwide, explaining that the latest census revealed a much larger housing base than previously calculated.

“There is a need for a broader rollout,” he said, noting, “the ministry has also provided free fiber-optic internet service to public schools, with more than 2,500 schools in Baghdad and other provinces already connected.”

Earlier this month, Communications Minister Hiyam al-Yasiri announced that free internet service had been extended to schools in Baghdad and other provinces, explaining that access will remain available until the end of the official school day.

The national fiber-optic project aims to deliver high-speed internet to all households and government institutions across Iraq under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications.