Exchange rates: Iranian rials (IR) per US$1—1,754.63 (January 1999), 1,751.86 (1998), 1,752.92 (1997), 1,750.76 (1996), 1,747.93 (1995), 1,748.75 (1994); black market rate: 7,000 rials per US$1 (December 1998); note—as of May 1995, the "official rate" of 1,750 rials per US$1 is used for imports of essential goods and services and for oil exports, whereas the "official export rate" of 3,000 rials per US$1 is used for non-oil exports and imports not covered by the official rate
Fiscal year: 21 March—20 March
Communications
Telephones: 8,991,797 (1997 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: 25 regional telecommunications authorities created in
1996; these authorities are responsible for implementing paging
services and cellular systems; microwave radio relay extends
throughout the country with the system centered in Tehran; system is
moving toward digitization and direct-dial capability; 255
long-distance circuits (1999 est.); 366 telephone exchanges (1995
est.); 204,400 microwave channels (1996 est.); 230,000 cellular
telephone subscribers (1997 est.); 3,930 pager subscribers (1995
est.)
international: 13,985 international circuits (1999 est.) with a plan
to reach 14,000 by March 1999; satellite earth stations—9 Intelsat
(with 50 terminals) and 4 Inmarsat; HF radio and microwave radio
relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan,
Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic
cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe
(FLAG); Trans Asia Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from
Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with
expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; four Internet service providers
as of 1997 with the number increasing (service limited to electronic
mail to promote Iranian culture)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 72, FM 6, shortwave 5 (1998 est.)
Radios: 13 million (1999 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 28 (in addition, there are 450 low-power repeaters, all government controlled) (1997)
Televisions: 7 million (1999 est.)
Transportation