How to get Mobile internet in Iran: Which option to choose?

Full of history, culture, and nature. Iran is perhaps one of the most underrated places when it comes to choosing our next adventure destination. With many attractions and things to see and do, you will surely be surprised at how enjoyable your trip to this country can be. However, if you want to maximize your experience during your vacation or business trip, you must know how to get an internet connection in Iran.

If it’s your first time in this country and you don’t know much about how to connect, don’t worry. Here we will show you everything you need to know about alternatives to get internet in Iran. Here you will find everything you need to enjoy good International internet connectivity throughout your trip. From what are the best options such as the eSIM for Iran, to the cellular internet coverage map of this country.

Cellular data in Iran

As you might guess, there are many options to connect to the internet in Iran. Some stand out for being cheap and with several advantages that will make you enjoy every second of your trip, such as the eSIM for your trip to Iran. In comparison, other options are eye-catching mainly for their portability and high price, such as roaming in Iran. Which, despite being rather easy to use and activate, is not very recommended.

On the other hand, other options may be a bit unknown to most travelers since these are neither as cheap as eSIMs nor as portable as the roaming service. These options are the Pocket WiFi with international data for Iran and the free WiFi service in this country. Both options will allow you to connect to the internet during your vacation. However, there are additional details you should know for each provider before deciding. For this, we have compiled the features and rates of each of these alternatives. This way, you have all the relevant information to make your choice.

Internet prices in Iran

Certainly, one of the most important aspects of choosing any product is its features and rates. So, we have compiled the Iran internet rates that each option offers you. This way, you can compare them and deduce which is the best alternative for your trip to Iran.

Remember that another important aspect of having internet in Iran is not only the data but also the coverage that each option offers.

eSIM to get a Cellular internet Connection in Iran

To start with this list of options for getting internet in Iran, we can find International virtual SIM cards, also known as eSIM. These are well known by travelers due to their reasonable internet rates. Depending on where you buy your eSIM, you can also enjoy a series of additional perks and advantages that will considerably improve your adventure. However, remember that before buying one of these eSIMs, you need a compatible cellphone.

This new alternative works like a traditional International SIM card, but instead of inserting a plastic card or chip into your smartphone, you must scan a QR code provided by the operator you bought your service from. Among the best international eSIM providers to get internet in Iran is the Holafly online store. Their eSIM will allow you to connect to the internet with additional advantages such as sharing data with friends, and 24-hour customer service in English, among others.

Holafly eSIM rates to travel to Iran with unlimited data

• 15 days with 6 GB of data at $44

How to get Mobile internet in Iran with your cellular provider?

If instead of buying a new product to have internet in Iran, you prefer to connect to the internet through your domestic cellular carrier, you can do this through the roaming service offered by most cellular operators at the time of leaving your home country. However, these types of services are usually quite expensive in most cases. Therefore, we recommend that you avoid it as much as possible.

Mainly because it’s a consumption fee that accumulates while you travel, and you will have to pay a huge bill at the end when you get back home. Indeed, for most travelers, is a pretty nasty surprise at the end of their vacation. However, if you’re interested in connecting to the internet in Iran through your domestic operator, we will show you how to do it and how much it costs with these three providers.

Internet in Iran with AT&T

If you are an AT&T user and you want to connect to the internet during your trip, you will have to contact the provider to activate the international roaming feature on your cellphone account. Once you activate this option, you will have to pay an expensive fee of $2.05 for each MB you consume during your stay in Iran. Therefore, we recommend that you use data only when it’s necessary.

On the other hand, this carrier also offers its users the possibility of activating the International Day Pass plan, with which they can make use of telephone services for $10 a day.

Internet in Iran with T-Mobile

T-Mobile is another widely used American company. So if you are a user of this cellular carrier and you have a Simple Gold plan, then you can enjoy phone services at no extra cost! On the other hand, if you have any other plan, you will have to pay $15 for each MB used.

Internet in Iran with Vodafone

If you are a Vodafone user, you will have a somewhat cheaper rate, although it’s still quite high, of $6.05 for each MB you use during your stay in Iran. To activate or deactivate this service, you will have to go on to the My Vodafone app.

Portable WiFi to get internet in Iran

One of the last options to have internet in Iran, and one of the most expensive, is through Pocket WiFi. To start, they are small routers that allow us to connect to the internet through a private WiFi network. The main advantage of this alternative is that it allows us to connect more than one cellular device simultaneously without losing internet speed and for the same price!

However, its main disadvantage, in addition to the expensive price, is that, as it is a product that needs a battery, it limits the number of things we can do during our trip without running out of internet in the middle of nowhere. Don’t wanna end up without a connection on your travels!

Yet, if you’re interested in connecting to the internet through this product, either because you’re traveling with a large group of friends or so, we recommend that you do it through an online provider such as WiFi Travelers. This will charge you $70.50 plus a shipping fee of $18, which gives you $89 for a single week of internet service. On the other hand, we also have an alternative to WiFi Travelers, which is Travel WiFi. This company charges $47 plus a shipping fee of $18.60, which gives you approximately $67.

Public WiFi in Iran

Finally, the last option that we offer you to have internet in Iran is to connect through the free WiFi hotspots that are distributed throughout the country. Although to a lesser extent due to the slow development of cellular technology that Iran has had. These free WiFi spots are usually found in parks, squares, and public centers. However, the places where you will most likely find public internet are private venues such as hotels or restaurants.

If you plan to connect through them, we recommend that you do so for short periods and that, while you are connected, you don’t provide any important or personal information, such as bank account information or passwords.

Internet coverage map in Iran

If you want to enjoy a good internet connection, you must know which are the areas with greater or poor coverage. For this, we recommend that you look at the following map with the cellular coverage in Iran, which shows the areas where you will connect to the internet.

3G or 4G coverage

In the case of cellular coverage in Iran, please see the following map:

What we recommend

Since there are many options, you probably still don’t know which one to decide on. For this reason, our recommendation, considering aspects such as prices, internet rates, advantages, disadvantages, and forms of use, among many other characteristics, is that you connect to the internet in Iran through the Holafly eSIM card with data for Iran.

It’s the only one of all the options that, in addition to offering you a good amount of data at a good price, also gives you added advantages, such as sharing data with your friends.  

FAQs about the internet in Iran

Carolina Silva