Minister of Communications in the supervisory meeting of the Rural Communications Development Plan; Speed up the connection of the remaining villages

Appreciating the actions taken in the development of rural communications, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology emphasized on expediting the implementation of projects, realizing performance indicators, removing barriers to providing equipment and using the capacity of other executive bodies to achieve communication justice. According to ICT News, the supervisory meeting of the Rural Communications Development Plan (USO) with the presence of Syedstar Hashemi, [...] written by the Minister of Communications in the supervisory meeting of the Rural Communications Development Plan

According to ICT News, the monitoring meeting of the Rural Communications Development Plan (USO) was held with the presence of Seyedstar Hashemi, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Nik Mohammad Balochzahi, Advisor to the Minister and Executive of the Rural Communications Development Plan, and a group of deputies and managers of the Ministry of Communications. In this meeting, the implementation process of the project, the level of progress in connecting villages with more than 20 households to the national information network, and the obstacles to achieving the goals of the 7th Progress Plan were reviewed.

Emphasizing the continuity of actions and accelerating the implementation of projects

In this meeting, Syedstar Hashemi said, appreciating the actions taken in the development of rural communications: "The actions and achievements in this area are commendable, but the project implementation process must be continued seriously, and speeding up the programs, especially for connecting the remaining villages, should be prioritized."

Pointing to the importance of developing communication infrastructure in rural areas, he added: "Our ultimate goal is not just infrastructure development; Rather, we must ensure that the people in the villages have access to stable, high-quality communication services that suit their needs. Therefore, the progress of the projects should be followed with a result-oriented view, and the actions taken should lead to tangible improvement of people's access.

Realization of statistics and indicators of development of rural communication

Emphasizing the necessity of matching the performance statistics with the actual situation of services in rural areas, the Minister of Communications stated: "Statistics announced in the field of rural communication development should provide an accurate and real picture of the access situation of the people. Merely connecting a village or recording executive progress alone cannot indicate the quality of services; Rather, the stability of communication, the quality of access and the possibility of effective use of communication services by people should also be included in the evaluations.

Hashemi added: "It is necessary to define and report the evaluation indicators in such a way that there is a clear distinction between the physical progress of the projects and the actual quality of the services provided to the people. This approach helps to make more accurate decisions, identify weaknesses and target the next actions."

Using the capacity of executive bodies to remove obstacles

Referring to the limited resources and the necessity of synergy between the institutions, the Minister of Communications said: "The development of rural communications should not rely solely on the capacities and resources of the Ministry of Communications." It is necessary to use the capacity of executive bodies and national institutions and provide the context for their participation in providing resources and facilitating the implementation of projects."

He emphasized: "Part of the obstacles to the development of communication in rural areas can be removed with interdepartmental coordination and the use of legal, financial and credit capacities of other institutions. Therefore, the issues and requirements of the plan should be clearly identified and to solve them, effective interaction with the relevant institutions should be followed.

Supporting domestic production and facilitating the supply of equipment

Emphasizing the necessity of supporting domestic production capacity and removing implementation obstacles of projects, Hashemi stated: "Supporting domestic production is a necessity and we must use the capacity of domestic producers to provide equipment needed for the development of rural communications; However, in cases where the required equipment does not have domestically produced samples, a flexible and appropriate approach should be adopted."

He added: "Equipment supply obstacles should not become a factor for delaying the implementation of projects and lagging behind the set goals. In addition to supporting domestic production, it is necessary to pursue the necessary solutions for the timely provision of the required equipment within the framework of the rules and regulations so that the implementation of the plan does not face interruption.

Preparation of a comprehensive report to be presented to the government board

In another part of the meeting, the Minister of Communications emphasized the necessity of compiling a comprehensive report on the performance of the rural communications development plan and said: "It is necessary to prepare a comprehensive report of the actions taken, the achievements of the plan, the level of achievement of the goals, the existing challenges and the upcoming requirements, so that a clear and documented picture of the development of rural communications is available to the government board."

Hashemi added: "In addition to stating the progress, this report should also accurately specify the obstacles and requirements for accelerating the implementation of projects so that by explaining the needs and using the capacity of other institutions, the path to achieving the goals of the 7th Program of Progress and Communication Justice can be made smoother."

At the beginning of this meeting, Nik Mohammad Balochzahi, advisor to the minister and executive of the Rural Communications Development Plan, presented a report on the latest status of the implementation of the mandatory public service of communications and information technology (USO), the progress of connecting villages with more than 20 households to the national information network, and the implementation issues and obstacles of the plan.

According to the presented report, more than 82% of the villages above 20 households in the country are connected to the national information network with high-speed access; This rate was 73% at the beginning of the 14th government. Also, since the beginning of the activity of this government, 3,627 villages have been connected to the national information network using high-speed communications.

In the following, the attendees reviewed the process of achieving the goals of the 7th Progress Plan, implementation challenges and ways to accelerate the connection of the remaining villages, and the necessity of coordination between related departments and continuous follow-up of obstacles was emphasized.

It should be noted that the meetings of "Monitoring Thursdays" are held continuously and weekly with the aim of reviewing the process of program implementation, evaluating the performance of various departments of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and following up on assigned actions and missions.