TEHRAN – Summer of 2006 witnessed a 41% increase in Iran’s cell phone penetration rate compared to the same period last year.

Some 9.9 million cellular phones and 21 million fixed phones kept the lines busy in the hot season, registering 41.7% and 13.7% jump over previous, a report by Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) noted on Monday.

Also, non-oil exports for the season experienced a growth of 8.6% and 19.6% over the summer of 2005 and spring of 2006 respectively, an Iranian journal on social and economic indices recorded.

Unemployment rate fell almost by one percent this summer against the spring’s 11.2%, the publication reported.