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Telephone Service Repair to Begin at the Al-Mamoun Telephone Exchange
Baghdad, Iraq
October 2003
The Al-Mamoun telephone exchange will restore telephone services to approximately 30,000 subscribers. Al-Mamoun is one of 12 telephone exchanges in the Baghdad region which were destroyed in the recent conflict. USAID partner Bechtel and the Coalition Provisional Authority are working with the Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company to restore landline telephone service and provide international telephone service. The first international telephone call through the new Al-Mamoun exchange occurred on October 23, 2003.
The Al-Mamoun Telephone Exchange where repair work will restore telephone services to approximately 30,000 subscribers. Al-Mamoun is one of 12 telephone exchanges in the Baghdad region which were deystroyed in the recent conflict. USAID partner Bechtel is working with the Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company to restore landline telephone service and provide a gateway for international telephone service. Workers run cables to the new switching station.
The Al-Mamoun Telephone Exchange where repair work will restore telephone services to approximately 30,000 subscribers. Al-Mamoun is one of 12 telephone exchanges in the Baghdad region which were deystroyed in the recent conflict. USAID partner Bechtel is working with the Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company to restore landline telephone service and provide a gateway for international telephone service. Iraqi workers begin to splice cables into the new exchange. The first international telephone call through the new Al-Mamoun exchange is scheduled for 23 October, 2003.
The Al-Mamoun Telephone Exchange where repair work that will restore telephone services to approximately 30,000 subscribers. Al-Mamoun is one of 12 telephone exchanges in the Baghdad region which were deystroyed in the recent conflict. USAID partner Bechtel is working with the Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company to restore landline telephone service and provide a gatewy for international telephone service. The trailers in foreground will replace switching equipment formerly housed in the damaged building in the background.
Underground cables have been spliced at the Al-Mamoun Telephone Exchange where repair work will restore telephone services to approximately 30,000 subscribers. Al-Mamoun is one of 12 telephone exchanges in the Baghdad region which were deystroyed in the recent conflict. USAID partner Bechtel is working with the Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company to restore landline telephone service and provide a gateway for international telephone service. Iraqi workers begin to splice cables into the new exchange. The first international telephone call through the new Al-Mamoun exchange is scheduled for 23 October, 2003.
Six huge generators were looted from this site at the Al-Mamoun Telephone Exchange where repair work will restore telephone services to approximately 30,000 subscribers. Al-Mamoun is one of 12 telephone exchanges in the Baghdad region which were deystroyed in the recent conflict. USAID partner Bechtel is working with the Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company to restore landline telephone service and provide a gateway for international telephone service. Iraqi workers begin to splice cables into the new exchange. The first international telephone call through the new Al-Mamoun exchange is scheduled for 23 October, 2003.

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Accomplishments: Telecommunicatons

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The Al-Mamoun Telephone Exchange, where repair work that will restore telephone services to approximately 30,000 subscribers. Al-Mamoun is one of 12 telephone exchanges in the Baghdad region which were destroyed in the recent conflict. (Photo: Thomas Hartwell)
In 2002, approximately 1.2 million Iraqis subscribed to landline telephone service. Much of the network's switching component was damaged during the war and service was disrupted. In Baghdad, 12 exchange switches (of 38 total) serving 240,000 telephone lines (of 540,000 total) are out of service. USAID is working to restore the national fiber telecom network, repair the telephone switching system in Baghdad, and restore international telecommunications capability to Iraq. The international satellite gateway system will be installed and connect Iraq to the rest of the world. Civilian telephone service is managed by the Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company along with CPA assistance.

  • Purchased tools, equipment, and parts to allow Iraqi engineers to restore parts of the network.
  • 18 of 22 telecommunications containers holding exchange switches and main distribution frames (MDFs) have been received and installed. 12 sites around the country will receive switches.
  • Installing 12 transportable exchange switches to support 230,000 subscriber lines in Baghdad.
  • Audited 400 km of the fiber optic backbone, confirming that only two of twelve fibers are active. Supervised repairs to fiber cuts due to accidents and sabotage.
  • Officially opened Baghdad's Al Mamoun telephone exchange on December 13. As of December 14, USAID partner Bechtel and the Iraqi Telecommunications and Postal Company had connected 11,500 subscriber lines to the switch. The Ministry of Communications is bringing in additional workers from outside Baghdad to expand the line-splicing workforce and accelerate progress. Al Mamoun is the largest exchange in Iraq, with 30,000 subscribers.
  • Training 52 Iraqi Telephone and Postal Company operators and engineers at Al Mamoun through January on telecommunications site operations, maintenance, and repairs.

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Last Updated on: January 05, 2004