MCI Signs Deal to Implement E-Governance

The Iranian government is to hand the establishment the infrastructure for e-governance to Mobile Telecommunications Company of Iran (MCI).

While a large number of MCI subscribers, locally known as Hamrah-e-Aval, have been complaining about high prices and low quality of the company’s services, the Iranian government has handed the implementation of this national scheme to the company.

MCI and Iran’s Information Services Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding on October 16, which puts MCI in charge of laying the groundwork for the national project.

According to MCI’s official website, the directors of MCI and ISC signed the MoU in the presence of Nassrollah Jahngard, deputy minister of communications and information technology, and representatives of the Central Bank of Iran. Based on the MoU, MCI is to establish the required infrastructure so the government, banks and the private sector would be able to offer the basic services of e-governance and mobile e-payment.

The services will include secure digital signature, encrypted data storage on SIM, e-wallet and near field communication payment services for minor purchases and several other mobile financial solutions.

The initial phase of the service will be launched in November and according to MCI, all MCI subscribers can register for the services nationwide from January.

MCI claims to be the “pioneer operator” in offering new services in Iran and by handing such a grand national project to the company, the state is giving credence to this claim. This is while the company has been lagging behind its sole rival, Irancell—the country’s second largest operator, in terms of number of subscribers.

Low customer satisfaction and high prices, in addition to not keeping pace with the market, casts a stark shadow over MCI’s capability for implementing the scheme.