Here’s a concise overview of mobile network coverage in Iran and what to expect — strengths, limitations, and practical tips.

Main operators

• MCI (Mobile Communications Company of Iran, also called Hamrah‑e‑Avval): largest network and widest geographic coverage, strong in cities and many rural areas.
• MTN Irancell: major private operator with wide 2G/3G/4G coverage and competitive data packages, good urban and many rural areas.
• RighTel: smaller operator, introduced 3G/4G and some value for data users — generally good in cities but more limited in remote areas.

Network technologies and geographic coverage

• Urban areas (Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, etc.): Reliable 3G/4G LTE coverage from the main operators; data speeds in cities are generally acceptable for browsing, streaming and most apps.
• Suburban and small towns: Mostly covered by 3G/4G from one or more operators, though speeds and congestion vary.
• Rural and mountainous regions: Coverage becomes patchy. In remote areas you will often only get 2G/edge (voice/SMS/basic data) or no signal at all. Coverage is highly dependent on terrain and distance from base stations.
• 5G: Deployment has been limited and uneven. Some cities/areas may have 5G trials or pockets of service, but wide national 5G availability is not yet comparable to 4G coverage (if you need exact, current 5G availability I can check maps).

Controls, restrictions and reliability

• The Iranian state exercises strict control of telecom infrastructure and internet access. Mobile data is subject to content filtering, throttling, and outages during political events or security responses. Planned or spontaneous network disruptions have occurred in the past.
• International roaming is available from some operators but can be costly; local prepaid SIMs are the usual choice for visitors.

Using mobile service in Iran (practical tips)

• If you’re visiting: buy a local prepaid SIM at official operator stores or airports (you’ll need passport ID for registration). MCI and Irancell kiosks are common. Prepaid data packages are widely available.
• Dual‑SIM phones are handy: use a local SIM for data and keep your home SIM for contacts/2FA (if your home network works).
• For better coverage, choose MCI or Irancell in most cases — they generally provide the broadest reach. RighTel can be fine in cities but may miss rural coverage.
• If you rely on continuous access (work, remote monitoring), plan for outages and consider multiple connectivity options (e.g., local SIM + backup satellite/VSAT if mission‑critical).
• VPNs and censorship circumvention: many residents use VPNs or other tools; laws are strict and technical access can be unstable. Be aware of legal and security implications.

How to check current coverage where you need it

• Operator coverage maps: MCI, Irancell and RighTel publish coverage maps on their sites (useful starting point but sometimes optimistic).
• Independent coverage tools: apps and sites such as OpenSignal, Ookla CoverageMap, and CellMapper provide user‑reported signal maps and speed tests that often give a more realistic picture.
• If you want, I can look up the latest coverage maps or check 5G availability for a specific city or route in Iran — tell me the city/region and I’ll fetch current maps and sources.

If you want up‑to‑date coverage maps or data for a particular city/route, tell me which locations and I’ll pull the latest operator and third‑party maps.