MTN has hit back at media reports, which speculated it could lose millions from its Iranian operations, following unrest over the country`s elections.
"The MTN Group wishes to allay concerns precipitated by media reports that there has been a shutdown of telecommunication services in Iran, and that this could have a revenue impact on its operations in that country," the company explained in a statement.
The country`s controversial presidential election has been high on the media agenda, after the government attempted to block the Internet and reportedly mobile communications, to prevent protestors from reaching the world`s media.
On 16 June, just three days after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was officially re-elected, beating out reformer, Mir Hossein Mousavi, the Iranian government banned foreign journalists and global media turned to on-the-ground coverage that was being disseminated through micro-blogging site Twitter.
Mass protests arose after Ahmadinejad`s re-election, with many claiming the elections were rigged. Protests continue today, and this week has seen some of the most violent clashes between protestors and police, with several YouTube videos showing the coverage.
In what has been considered a world first, global Internet specialists came together to provide proxy access to millions of Iranians, which allowed them to continue with the coverage of the protests.
Twitter reports and YouTube videos have largely come from mobile devices. Local media has speculated that, as an Iranian service provider, MTN could stand to lose at least a month`s worth of income from the country.
However, MTN says its networks are intact and are fully operational in the country. "MTN`s voice, SMS and Internet services are operational as normal in Iran," the company says.
According to MTN`s last annual results presentation, the company has around 16 million subscribers in the country. MTN was also awarded a WiMax licence and spectrum in Iran last year.
The Iran operation was one of two within MTN that did not see declining margins in its financial report, and remains one of the faster growing in terms of subscribers. The company made over R4 billion in revenue in Iran last year, an increase of 216% over the same reporting period in 2007.
Protests in Iran continue today and can still be followed on Twitter using #iranelections.
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