Business Description

The first commercial Internet service provider in Iran was the Neda Rayaneh Institute (NRI) (http://www.neda.net.ir), a non-profit company affiliated with Tehran municipality, which started a BBS in early 1994 and Internet access in February 1995 via two 9.6 Kbps SLIP leased lines. One of these lines connected its LAN to IPM, and the other used a satellite link to connect to a Canadian ISP, Cadvision. NRI is the largest ISP in Iran, hosting an extensive array of business and news web pages, all of which are mirrored in California by the Global Publishing Group (http://www.gpg.com).

NRI's basic offerings include extensive domestic news and information services and email. A basic email and BBS (``Neda-1") account costs IR 300,000 ($100) per year; access to the Internet is a premium service, open only to Neda-1 subscribers, that costs an additional IR 50,000 ($16.67) per 200 kb of traffic.

NRI also maintains the Tehran ``Yellow Pages" and commercial and private telephone directories, as well as city information and an interactive map of Tehran. The company hosts numerous corporate web pages, for which it provides the design expertise, as well as a full version (Persian hypertext and graphics) of the Tehran daily newspaper Hamshahri. NRI formerly offered domain name registration and hosting services for a flat fee of IR 2,000,000 ($667), but had to discontinue the service due to the congestion this caused the network. The company still offers web hosting services on its intranet (i.e., with no Internet link). All services are available in English and Persian.

In early August 1995, all 200 of NRI's dial-up lines were disconnected by TCI, ostensibly due to the misuse of the network by NRI subscribers looking for mates via the Internet, but more likely related to attempts by the Ministry of Post, Telegraph, and Telephone to stifle competition to its own companies, including DCI. The connections were restored within a week, but NRI was required to post a message warning subscribers to refrain from inappropriate activities. Only 16 of the dial-up lines were initially allocated for Internet access, but these have been expanded to 100. NRI also has a full-time connection to IranPac.

In early 1996, the Central Library of the Foundation of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza,Astan Qods Razavi, announced that it would join the Internet in the near future, apparently via NRI.

Management Team

Board of Director