TEHRAN – The total number of SIM cards in Iran will reach 15 million by February 19, 2007, the head OF Mobile Communications Company’s directorate said here on Friday.

“The number of cell phone subscribers is projected to come to 25 million by the end of the Fourth Plan (2005-2010),” Seyyed Ali Alavian added.

Other deliveries have been assigned for June 2007 and those for major provinces will also take place earlier in February, he vowed.

He predicted new registration in February if network development could maintain the current pace.

As to the ceiling set for the number of mobile applicants, “there is none”, he stipulated.

Network optimization is part of our daily improvement tasks while there are other long-term strategies that exist in the overall scheme, added the manager.

Malaysian, European companies to help Iran produce cell phones

An Iranian telecommunications official was quoted by the Fars News Agency as saying on Friday that Malaysian and European companies have been chosen to be Iran's partners in production of home-made cellular phones.

Mohammad Mottale' added that the Iranian Telecommunications Company is in final talks with one Malaysian and two European companies in order to verify the remaining technical issues.

He named Malaysian MMOBIL and TELME and BELL from Austria as the three companies which will cooperate with his company in the production of Iran-made mobile phones.

He said that his company's objective is gaining one-fifth of the Iranian market, adding that the company would produce simple but efficient cell phones with a wide range of designs which could satisfy different tastes.