Head of Iranian Space Agency (ISA) Morteza Barari says Iran has planned to develop remote sensing as well as communications satellites to serve the Iranian people in their daily lives.
Stating that space technology has already entered Iranian citizens’ lives, Barari added “perhaps one of the most prominent aspects [of space technology in people’s lives] are the mobile smartphones that are equipped with satellite navigation systems which help people locate and navigate.”
Barari, who is also Iran’s deputy ICT minister, added that one of the services that the people of Iran today benefit from, but may not be aware of is the communications satellites.
“Now, Iransat-21 telecommunications satellite provides a number of services to the people.”
He went on to elaborate more saying that the major part of the VSAT network in the country is operating on that satellite, meanwhile, Shetab banking system to handle ATM, POS and other card-based activities are conducted through that satellite as well.
“The oil platforms in the Persian Gulf are in contact with inside the country via that telecommunication satellite,” Barari said, adding “there are of course other telecommunications satellites provided by the private sector serving the banks and the oil ministry.”
The head of Iranian Space Agency (ISA) concluded that one of their major goals this year is the development of communications infrastructure in rural and remote areas, pointing out that they have developed a plan in that regard in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.