UANI

"IRIB broadcasts not only in Persian but in Arabic—on its Al Alam channel—and in English on its Press TV. Besides Eutelsat, companies it uses include Intelsat SA, Telesat Holdings Inc. and AsiaSat, a Hong Kong-based operator in which General Electric Co. has a stake... Telesat, which also says it isn't aware of being jammed, does carry BBC Persian but the satellite that carries the channel isn't widely watched in Iran." (The Wall Street Journal, "In Skies Over Iran, a Battle for Control of Satellite TV," 12/27/2011)

"European satellite companies like Eutelsat, Intelsat and Arqiva provide extensive services to the Iranian state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), including for domestic Iranian radio and television broadcasts, and for Iran's growing list of foreign-language channels, like the English-language PressTV and the Arabic Al-Alam... It has not stopped carrying IRIB channels on its satellites, which are facilitated through Arqiva, even though the Iranian government is effectively destroying the products of its other clients... Over the past two years, during which Iran increased its jamming of Persian-language broadcasts from abroad, Eutelsat and Arqiva have done little to hold the Iranian government accountable." (The Wall Street Journal, "Broadcasting Tehran's Repression," 12/9/2011) 

"The BBC, for example, launched its Persian-language channel in 2009 and beamed it from the 'Hotbird' satellite of Paris-based Eutelsat Communications SA, which is a satellite that large numbers of rooftop dishes in Iran are pointed at to receive free Persian channels... Besides Eutelsat, companies it uses include Intelsat SA, Telesat Holdings Inc. and AsiaSat, a Hong Kong-based operator in which General Electric Co. has a stake... Eutelsat, meanwhile, says it has been targeted repeatedly... The chief executive of Eutelsat, Michel de Rosen, said, 'I get pressure from many governments about many channels. Our permanent answer is: We will not do anything about a channel if we do not get a clear order backed by law.' Eutelsat says it did pull Libyan government channels in April after the European Union barred any technical aid to the Gadhafi regime. Later, North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces bombed the Libyan state satellite-television facility, which NATO said was being used to incite attacks on civilians... For 70 years it has had a Persian-language radio station, which is hard to block because it is short-wave; the BBC also has a Persian website, which is blocked in Iran but accessible via circumvention tools. For its TV channel, the BBC rented a frequency on Eutelsat's Hotbird, the most popular satellite in Iran for TV watchers... Because the jamming was causing collateral damage to neighboring channels on Hotbird, the BBC reluctantly agreed to a request from a satellite-space middleman to move to another Eutelsat satellite, called W3A... Eutelsat says it has filed numerous complaints with a U.N. agency that manages outer-space frequencies, the International Telecommunication Union, an arm of which stated in March that the interference 'appeared to be emanating from Iran.'" (The Wall Street Journal, "In Skies Over Iran, a Battle for Control of Satellite TV," 12/27/2011)

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"European satellite companies like Eutelsat, Intelsat and Arqiva provide extensive services to the Iranian state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), including for domestic Iranian radio and television broadcasts, and for Iran's growing list of foreign-language channels, like the English-language PressTV and the Arabic Al-Alam... But Eutelsat also hosts many of the stations whose programming Tehran jams... Over the past two years, during which Iran increased its jamming of Persian-language broadcasts from abroad, Eutelsat and Arqiva have done little to hold the Iranian government accountable... Either company could have contractually required Iran to stop its jamming, which is politically motivated censorship, or refused to carry IRIB. Instead Eutelsat's response was to discontinue broadcasting BBC Persian and VOA Persian on the most accessible and popular satellite, Hotbird6, and to move them to less accessible satellites... Last month, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for Eutelsat to cease service as long as illegal jamming is taking place." (The Wall Street Journal, "Broadcasting Tehran's Repression," 12/9/2011)

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"Iran is facing mounting international protests about its jamming of the BBC's Persian TV service (PTV) after the channel – which has millions of viewers and is hugely popular with opposition supporters – was taken off a satellite owned by Europe's leading operator. The BBC said today it was 'actively supporting' a formal complaint to the International Telecommunication Union, a UN-affiliated body, about "deliberate interference" from Iran. The ITU confirmed it had received representations from regulators in France, home to Eutelsat, owner of the Hotbird 6 satellite, which transmitted PTV until the end of last month... Eutelsat says PTV was removed from Hotbird 6 'in agreement' with the BBC, though sources close to the affair say the operator caved in to commercial and legal pressures from other customers broadcasting on the same transponder. Another Eutelsat satellite, Hotbird 8, provides capacity to Iranian state media channels, including English-language Press TV, which has offices in London. Iranian opposition supporters are accusing satellite companies of 'siding with dictators'. Eutelsat and GlobeCast, a France Télécom subsidiary which leases bandwidth from Eutelsat — and which made the decision to take down PTV — refuse to say publicly that the Iranian government is responsible for the jamming." (BBC News. "BBC joins international protests against Iranian TV interference," 1/14/10)

"Huawei Technologies Co. confirmed it sold telecom equipment and a 'mobile news delivery platform' to MTN Irancell Telecommunications Services Co., Iran's second- largest mobile provider, while denying the gear is used for censorship... Huawei, China's largest maker of phone network equipment, doesn’t provide 'any services relating to monitoring or filtering technologies and equipment anywhere in the world,' the Shenzhen, China-based company said in a e-mailed statement today... The company said it issued the statement on Iran in response to 'inaccurate and misleading claims' about its 'commercial activities' in Iran, without identifying the source of those claims. Both Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal published reports last month saying Iranian authorities use technology purchased from foreign companies to monitor dissidents... 'Huawei provides a mobile news delivery platform to MTN Irancell, but we have no involvement in any aspect of the content of the information that is provided on that platform,' the Huawei statement said. 'Most importantly, we have absolutely no technology that can be used for news censorship.'... Ross Gan, a spokesman for Huawei, had earlier told Bloomberg News that any equipment the company provides to customers is strictly for commercial use only." (Bloomberg, "Huawei Confirms MTN Irancell Sales, Denies Gear is Used for Censorship,"11/7/2011)

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“When Western companies pulled back from Iran after the government's bloody crackdown on its citizens two years ago, a Chinese telecom giant filled the vacuum. Huawei Technologies Co. now dominates Iran's government-controlled mobile-phone industry. In doing so, it plays a role in enabling Iran's state security network. Huawei recently signed a contract to install equipment for a system at Iran's largest mobile-phone operator that allows police to track people based on the locations of their cellphones, according to interviews with telecom employees both in Iran and abroad, and corporate bidding documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. It also has provided support for similar services at Iran's second-largest mobile-phone provider. Huawei notes that nearly all countries require police access to cell networks, including the U.S. Huawei's role in Iran demonstrates the ease with which countries can obtain foreign technology that can be used to stifle dissent through censorship or surveillance. Many of the technologies Huawei supports in Iran—such as location services—are available on Western networks as well. The difference is that, in the hands of repressive regimes, it can be a critical tool in helping to quash dissent… This year Huawei made a pitch to Iranian government officials to sell equipment for a mobile news service on Iran's second-largest mobile-phone operator, MTN Irancell. According to a person who attended the meeting, Huawei representatives emphasized that, being from China, they had expertise censoring the news. The company won the contract and the operator rolled out the service, according to this person. MTN Irancell made no reference to censorship in its announcement about its ‘mobile newspaper’ service. But Iran routinely censors the Internet using sophisticated filtering technology. The Journal reported in June that Iran was planning to create its own domestic Internet to combat Western ideas, culture and influence. In winning Iranian contracts, Huawei has sometimes partnered with Zaeim Electronic Industries Co., an Iranian electronics firm whose website says its clients include the intelligence and defense ministries, as well as the country's elite special-forces unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. This month the U.S. accused a branch of the Revolutionary Guards of plotting to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S. Iran denies the claim. Huawei's chief spokesman, Ross Gan, said, ‘It is our corporate commitment to comply strictly with all U.N. economic sanctions, Chinese regulations and applicable national regulations on export control. We believe our business operations in Iran fully meet all of these relevant regulations.’ William Plummer, Huawei's vice president of external affairs in Washington, said the company's location-based-service offerings comply with ‘global specifications’ that require lawful-interception capabilities. ‘What we're doing in Iran is the same as what we're doing in any market,’ he said. ‘Our goal is to enrich people's lives through communications.’ Huawei has about 1,000 employees in Iran, according to people familiar with its Iran operations. In an interview in China, a Huawei executive played down the company's activities in Iran's mobile-phone industry, saying its technicians only service Huawei equipment, primarily routers. But a person familiar with Huawei's Mideast operations says the company's role is considerably greater, and includes a contract for ‘managed services’—overseeing parts of the network—at MTN Irancell, which is majority owned by the government. During 2009's demonstrations, this person said, Huawei carried out government orders on behalf of its client, MTN Irancell, that MTN and other carriers had received to suspend text messaging and block the Internet phone service, Skype, which is popular among dissidents. Huawei's Mr. Plummer disputed that the company blocked such services. Huawei, one of the world's top makers of telecom equipment, has been trying to expand in the U.S. It has met resistance because of concerns it could be tied to the Chinese government and military, which the company denies. Last month the U.S. Commerce Department barred Huawei from participating in the development of a national wireless emergency network for police, fire and medical personnel because of ‘national security concerns.’ A Commerce Department official declined to elaborate. In February, Huawei withdrew its attempt to win U.S. approval for acquiring assets and server technology from 3Leaf Systems Inc. of California, citing opposition by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The panel reviews U.S. acquisitions by foreign companies that may have national-security implications. Last year, Sprint Nextel Corp. excluded Huawei from a multibillion-dollar contract because of national-security concerns in Washington, according to people familiar with the matter. Huawei has operated in Iran's telecommunications industry since 1999, according to China's embassy in Tehran. Prior to Iran's political unrest in 2009, Huawei was already a major supplier to Iran's mobile-phone networks, along with Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks, a joint venture between Nokia Corp. and Siemens AG, according to MTN Irancell documents… As NSN and Ericsson pulled back, Huawei's business grew. In August 2009, two months after mass protests began, the website of China's embassy in Tehran reprinted a local article under the headline, ‘Huawei Plans Takeover of Iran's Telecom Market.’ The article said the company ‘has gained the trust and alliance of major governmental and private entities within a short period,’ and that its clients included ‘military industries.’ The same month the Chinese embassy posted the article, Creativity Software, a British company that specializes in ‘location-based services,’ announced it had won a contract to supply a system to MTN Irancell. ‘Creativity Software has worked in partnership with Huawei, where they will provide first and second level support to the operator,’ the company said… One of the ultimate winners: Huawei. According to a Huawei manager in Tehran, the company signed a contract this year to provide equipment for location-based services to MCCI in the south of Iran and is now ramping up hiring for the project. One local Iranian company Huawei has done considerable business with is Zaeim Electronic Industries. ‘Zaeim is the security and intelligence wing of every telecom bid,’ said an engineer who worked on several projects with Zaeim inside the telecom ministry.” (The Wall Street Journal. “Chinese Tech Giant Aids Iran,” 10/27/11)

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Nobel Peace Laureate and human rights activist Shrin Ebadi stated that “through use of software provided by Chinese companies, the Iranian government taps and listens to telephone conversations and monitors targeted electronic mail exchanges.” (International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, “Shirin Ebadi: ‘Nokia Siemens’ Action a Major Accomplishment for Iranians and for People Of The World,’” 10/6/10)

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130 Iranian cities “are currently taking advantage of the optic fiber network implemented by Huawei. According to Huawei electrical industries, military industries and private ISPs are among other clients of this telecom giant.” (Iran Telecom Digest, “Huawei Plans Takeover of Iran's Telecom Market,” 8/16/09)

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Huawei signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) in 2008 to offer joint educational programs on wireline and wireless technologies at the Telecommunications College in Isfahan. (Telegeography, “Huawei offers telecoms training in Iran,” 4/22/08)

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As of July 2010, Huawei had “sold roughly $800m of its products to US customers under Motorola's brand as part of a long-standing business relationship that recently went sour.” (Financial Times, "US divided on how to tackle Huawei," 7/29/10)

"Feyzi said sanctions haven’t stopped IT providers from selling to Iran as contracts for equipment such as switches and transmission and radio systems show. Companies including Siemens, Nokia , Eriksson, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco Systems, Telaps, NEC, ZTE, Huawei Technologies Co and Wuhan Research Institute have all supplied the Islamic republic. Feyzi said TCI was focusing on buying equipment and technology that isn’t considered dual-use or 'problematic' due to the sanctions." (Gulf Times. "Iran telecom firm to offer '50% stake by March'", 1/12/09)

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"Shenzen-headquartered telecom equipment manufacturer, ZTE Corporation, exhibited its technologies and solutions in the fields of wireless networking, optimization of networks, broadband data networks, multimedia communications, optical transmission and switching systems at the Iran Telecom-infotech 2001 exhibition held on Oct 1-4 in Tehran, Iran. ZTE considers Iran to be one of its most important export markets. The Company set up a branch office in Tehran in the year 2000." (World IT Report. "China's ZTE seeks more cooperation opportunities in Iran," 4/8/03)

MCI is a subsidiary of Verizon Communications. MCI Inc. was formed as a result of the merger between WorldCom and MCI Communications.

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"This license authorized WorldCom to strike a deal by which the state-owned Telecommunications Company of Iran would pay the American telecommunications company a rental fee in return for a direct link to WorldCom's United States Internet backbone. OFAC said the application was approved because it would have provided increased and more consistent Internet access for Iranians, and it is the policy of the United States to encourage such access." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

"IRIB broadcasts not only in Persian but in Arabic—on its Al Alam channel—and in English on its Press TV. Besides Eutelsat, companies it uses include Intelsat SA, Telesat Holdings Inc. and AsiaSat, a Hong Kong-based operator in which General Electric Co. has a stake... Iran has little reason to jam Intelsat and AsiaSat, which don't carry BBC Persian or other typically targeted channels, and those companies said they weren't aware of their satellites being jammed... Intelsat, based in Luxembourg but with main offices in Washington, is able to do business with Iran despite the U.S. embargo because of a license from the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Intelsat was once an intergovernmental organization and was obliged to provide service to the group's former members, including Iran, when it changed to a private company a decade ago. 'Satellite operators like Intelsat do not censor the content that is broadcast over their satellites,' said Dianne Van Beber, a vice president and spokeswoman." (The Wall Street Journal, "In Skies Over Iran, a Battle for Control of Satellite TV," 12/27/2011)

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"European satellite companies like Eutelsat, Intelsat and Arqiva provide extensive services to the Iranian state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), including for domestic Iranian radio and television broadcasts, and for Iran's growing list of foreign-language channels, like the English-language PressTV and the Arabic Al-Alam."(The Wall Street Journal, "Broadcasting Tehran's Repression," 12/9/2011)

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"This license application is so heavily redacted by OFAC that one cannot say what type of activity it authorized. In records released by the State Department, however, it says that the license would allow Intelsat to respond to a request for a proposal for the provision of public international telecommunications service to Iran, and that granting such a license would be consistent with the United States policy goal of promoting the free flow of information to and from Iran." (New York Times, "Licenses Granted to U.S. Companies Run the Gamut," 12/24/10)

"Luxembourg-based software company Skype, which is in registration for an initial public offering, has answered a subpoena from the Treasury Department seeking information about transactions involving Iran.

Silver Lake Partners, the tech-centric private equity firm that bought the majority share in Skype in 2009, was served an administrative subpoena in July, Skype said in a Nov. 2 filing with the Securities and Exchange commission. The little-noticed subpoena was first disclosed by the company in its August registration statement.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces U.S. sanctions, requested information on transactions since 2005, including those related to call termination fees to an unnamed Iranian telecommunications provider, the company said." (Wall Street Journal, "Skype Answers Subpoena On Sanctions Investigation," 11/3/2010)

In a 2010 Correspondence with the SEC, CommScope, Inc. reports that its company indirectly sells its products to customers in Iran:

“With regard to the number or quantity of Company products that have been sold or distributed by the OEM into Iran, Sudan, Cuba, or Syria (hereinafter the “Sanctioned Countries”), the Company does not have or typically obtain data from customers that would allow it to provide such information. The Company only became aware of reexports by the OEM to the referenced countries when a foreign subsidiary acquired OEM shipment information for a portion of 2008 in connection with a logistics issue. This information, which has not been verified by the Company, suggested that, collectively, about 5 percent of the OEM’s reexports of Company products (the vast majority of which were not U.S. origin) were to the Sanctioned Countries.

 Because, with the exception of isolated sales in support of United Nations operations in Sudan, the Company does not make sales to customers when it knows that Company product is intended specifically for end use in Iran, Sudan, Cuba, or Syria, the Company lacks sufficient information to accurately state the actual revenue that may be attributable to sales of Company products in the these countries by its international customers.” (SEC, 2010 Correspondence, 6/14/2010)