Iraq inaugurates first satellite ground station

Iraqi Minister of Communications Mustafa Sanad and officials during the inauguration ceremony of Iraq’s first satellite station. Photo: Communication Ministry Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Minister of Communications Mustafa Sanad inaugurated on Sunday Iraq’s first satellite ground station in Baghdad, a step aiming to bolster digital sovereignty and develop the country’s telecommunications infrastructure. In a speech he delivered during the inauguration ceremony, Sanad said that Iraq’s acquisition of a satellite would be impossible without a ground station. The new facility will serve as a cornerstone for the country’s upcoming national space program, with future expansions planned to establish additional ground stations across other Iraqi provinces depending on population density and administrative assessment. The station also acts as a complete technological hub that includes a satellite communication gateway, a localized data center, and an internet exchange point. Developed in partnership with the technology group Commercis, the station links incoming satellite communications directly into Iraq’s expanding domestic fiber-optic terrestrial network. Iraq previously relied on international infrastructure located outside its borders to route satellite traffic. The government is now actively urging ministries, private companies, and security agencies to migrate their traffic to this local gateway to secure sensitive data. The station is part of a broader economic vision to transform Iraq into a regional data corridor. By leveraging its geographic location, Iraq aims to serve as a high-speed data transit bridge connecting networks across Asia, Africa, and Europe. The station provides high-speed enterprise internet, secure government communications, live television feeds, and commercial satellite broadcasting.