On Saturday, August 30, I moderated a session titled "Iraq as a Regional Telecom Hub" at the Iraq edition of the Internet Governance Forum, organized by the Tech4Peace team.
Before the discussion I showed two kinds of maps. First, maritime shipping routes alongside Iraq's Development Road project; then submarine-cable maps, including the Middle East's submarine cables as they reach Iraq. The point was to draw the parallel: moving data is no less important than moving goods around the world, and Iraq's geopolitical position in the middle of the Middle East could connect East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe through transit lines that change the equation of how pivotal a country Iraq is.
The panel brought together four bodies: the Iraqi Ministry of Communications, the Media Commission, Asiacell (representing mobile operators), and IQ Networks (representing fiber ISPs). We worked through three themes: today's reality of infrastructure, regulation, and private-sector readiness; the obstacles and opportunities to make Iraq a regional telecom hub within five years; and what each body needs from the others to integrate and turn the vision into reality.
In my view this is inevitable. There is no alternative to connecting Iraq to the corners of the world through transit lines, data centers, and the other pieces this strategic goal requires. My thanks to the forum's organizers and to the guests: Dr. Barraq Abdulqader, Eng. Mohammed Al-Gharbawi, Omar Faleh, and Martin Frank.