TEHRAN — Some 25,000 villages in Iran will be provided with internet access over the next eight months, Communication and Information Technology Minister Mahmoud Vaezi said, the ISNA news agency reported on Friday.

“Around 8,000 villages have been so far provided with internet and now we have put it out to tender to find the best company to do the same thing for the other 25,000 villages,” Vaezi explained.

Data transfer rate in Iran was 620 gigabyte per second and now has reached 2,400 gigabyte per second and in a month this will increase to 4,000 gigabyte per second, he noted.

Elsewhere in his remarks Vaezi mentioned mobile phone coverage on the main roads which is now 98 percent and he made a pledge to make up for the remaining two percent and that the phone network operators will be duly notified to take actions.

On the subject of radio masts and towers which are believed to cause some serious health conditions in case of prolonged exposure, the minister pointed out that the towers themselves do not cause any problems but the radio waves used for telecommunication and broadcasting are the main source of the problem.

“Some meetings held between different departments and ministries to discuss the issue” he said adding that “in case of any possible threat to the public health the towers will soon be removed.”

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