The profitability and surveillance potential of the state telecom monopoly has not been missed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, described by many as the pseudogovernment of Iran:
The nearly $8 billion acquisition by a company affiliated with the elite force has amplified concerns in Iran over what some call the rise of a pseudogovernment, prompting members of Parliament to begin an investigation into the deal.
Full story. In other countries, similar arrangements are emerging. In Sri Lanka, it is alleged that no-name companies with interesting connections have entered into joint ventures with the incumbent teleco on highly favorable terms.
2 Comments
ofigennoe.ru
IF not YOU will fail just like the other 90% who try to get into biz for themseleves !
Abu Saeed Khan
The controversial privatisation of Iran Telecom is reportedly being investigated following repeated claims that the military Revolutionary Guards are backing one of the investors. Last month, consortium of three Iranian firms, Etemad Mobin Development paid US$7.8 billion for a 50% plus one share stake in the company. Cellular News reports: http://www.cellular-news.com/story/40006.php?s=h
Harnessing Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia: Pakistan Country Report
This report on data governance in Pakistan is part of the “Harnessing Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia” (D4DAsia) project, which aims, inter alia, to create and mobilize new knowledge about the tensions, gaps, and evolution of the data governance ecosystem, taking into account both formal and informal policies and practices. This report is also part of a broader comparative effort that includes case studies from India, Indonesia, Nepal, South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines.
LIRNEasia expertise contributes to Sri Lanka’s first National Policy on Archives and Records Management
Archives and records management is a critical foundation of any society, but especially in information societies that are emerging now. Unfortunately, this subject tends to be neglected.
Data governance in Pakistan is no longer a technical issue; it is a democratic one
In an article published on 26 January 2026 in The News Pakistan, LIRNEasia Senior Policy Fellow Muhammad Aslam Hayat highlights how data has become a powerful instrument of governance in Pakistan, yet the frameworks governing data remain fragmented and heavily skewed in favour of state control rather than citizen rights. He stresses that Pakistan does not need more data; it needs better rules to govern it.
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