Around 35,000 Internet users from 26 provinces were questioned during the survey, conducted in the last three months of the past calendar year that ended in March.
The report indicates that none of the companies operating in Tehran have been able to earn more than four stars in CRA’s five-star ranking system. In addition to the capital city, Internet users in 22 provinces have not deemed any company worthy of a five-star ranking.
Furthermore, in Ilam, Semnan, Kermanshah and Lorestan, not a single firm got four stars. This is while all companies operating in Yazd emerged at the top with five stars, according to Financial Tribune.
> Poor With One Star
According to the survey, the state-owned Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) has the lowest customer satisfaction index. It got a poor one-star rating in nine provinces.
The state-owned broadband provider got five stars only in Yazd, where all the other firms scored five stars.
Since TCI is the only broadband provider in several areas of the country, it has the largest share of Iran’s landline Internet market. Furthermore, the company has a monopoly over Internet services offered through the nation's fiber optic network.
> The Best of the Best
With five stars in three provinces and four in 20, Asia Tech has a legitimate claim to the title of the best Internet service provider.
Asia Tech is closely followed by its old rival Shatel which has been able to earn a five-star ranking in three provinces and four stars in 16 others.
Moreover, Shatel came with three stars in all the provinces where its subsidiaries operate.
The third best Internet service provider in Iran was HiWeb with two five-star ranking and 13 four-stars, according to the survey.
Last October, HiWeb forged a deal with the British-based Vodafone Telecoms Group. According to a press release by the two companies, Vodafone will assist the Iranian firm in modernizing its network and IT infrastructure, in addition to expanding fixed and mobile Internet services.
Among the major domestic Internet service providers, Pars Online saw the weakest performance. The company got five stars in only one province and was found two-star worthy in seven provinces.
According to the deputy director of CRA, Hossein Fallah Joshghani, the ombudsman is aiming to boost the quality of Internet services and promote transparency by issuing seasonal reports on customer satisfaction.