29 Sept 2025
This text presents a critical analysis of various public and private services in Iran, highlighting their inefficiencies, corruption, and lack of accountability, from dysfunctional postal tracking to exorbitant school fees and poor internet infrastructure. These domestic challenges are starkly contrasted with examples of advanced technological and civic innovations from countries like New Zealand and Australia, underscoring a significant disparity in progress and priorities.
The national postal tracking system (dialing 140) often provides unhelpful status updates and frequently results in undelivered packages due to recipient absence, leading to returns.
Kulsoom Akbari, a serial killer in Mazandaran, murdered eleven elderly husbands for their wealth. She would seek out sick or single elderly men, marry them for a high dowry after assessing their financial status, and then gradually weaken them with medication before suffocating them, making their deaths appear natural due to age or illness.
Private school fees in Iran are excessively high and unregulated, significantly exceeding government-approved rates, imposing a considerable financial burden on families. The head of the non-governmental schools organization reported sanctions against 119 schools, including permanent and temporary closures and managerial suspensions, for fee violations.
A female thief in Tehran rented a home, underwent cosmetic procedures to alter her appearance, and used stolen national ID cards of homeowners to pose as a cleaner from service companies with lax identity verification, enabling her to commit further robberies.
Iran ranks 97th globally in internet quality, with 86% of its 15-30 year old population using filters to access content. The Minister of Communications attributes internet disruptions to power outages, yet other factors like excessive water usage and damaged fiber optic cables are also cited as excuses, without officials taking direct responsibility.
Following a war, Iran's lack of crisis communication infrastructure led to proposals for an emergency alert system, initially suggesting sirens in city squares and 24/7 Quran recitations. These proposals were eventually deemed impractical and replaced with SMS notifications, despite concerns about their effectiveness.
The Chairman of Tehran City Council declared online taxi services like Snapp and Tapsi illegal outside Tehran, citing unregulated operations, negative impact on traffic, and unfair competition stemming from economic disparities that compel drivers from smaller cities to work in the capital.
A new bill, 'Tarh 3,' aims to regulate cyberspace, specifically targeting 'false news' propagated by media and influencers, indicating potential censorship and control over online content under the guise of combating misinformation.
In New Zealand, an operator partnered with SpaceX to launch the first IoT network directly connected to Starlink satellites, enabling beekeepers to monitor hives in remote areas, showcasing a focus on advanced, specialized technological solutions for niche problems.
Australian road authorities implemented glow-in-the-dark phosphorescent road markings on dangerous stretches of highways, reducing severe accidents by 83% and hard braking incidents by 67%, significantly improving safety in areas with poor lighting.
A personal account detailed the bureaucratic and incompetent process of fiber optic installation in Iran, involving multiple payments, uncooperative technicians requiring the customer to drill holes and manage cabling, and persistent delays, illustrating significant service delivery failures and a lack of accountability.
Iran's Minister of Communications announced the establishment of an Iranian fiber optic factory in Venezuela, promoting it as 'fiber optic diplomacy' and a response to 'cyber warfare,' despite severe domestic internet infrastructure problems and outages.
Sarcastic commentary highlighted the extension of deadlines for knowledge-based companies, implying that highly educated individuals are often compelled into military service under harsh conditions instead of contributing to technological advancements through innovation.
Meta was accused of secretly collecting and selling sensitive user data, including menstrual cycle information from the Flo Health app, to advertisers between 2016 and 2019, raising significant privacy concerns and prompting legal action.
WhatsApp is introducing a 'Guest Chat' feature that allows users to communicate via a shared link without needing a WhatsApp account, although file sharing, voice, or video calls are not supported in this mode.
Instagram has introduced a 'Repost' feature for Reels, allowing users to share others' content on their profile, similar to Twitter's Retweet. Additionally, 'Instagram Map' tracks user locations, and a 'For Friends' feature shows liked posts by friends, raising privacy questions and changing user interaction.
Several new AI models were introduced: Claude Opus 4.1 with superior programming benchmarks, Alibaba's free image generation AI, Google's Genie 3 for real-time virtual world generation and Gemini for storybook creation, ElevenLabs for copyright-free music, and OpenAI's GPT-OSS (local LLM) and GPT-5 with customization options and improved daily use capabilities.
While nations like New Zealand develop IoT for beekeepers and Australia implements glow-in-the-dark roads, Iran consistently struggles with fundamental service inefficiencies and a lack of accountability, underscoring a significant global disparity in innovation and governance.
| aspect | iranSituation | globalContrast | keyInsight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Infrastructure | Ranks 97th globally in internet quality, with 86% of young users employing filters. Minister of Communications cites power outages and other excuses for disruptions. | Countries like Spain (1st), UAE (42nd), and Turkey (75th) have superior internet. New Zealand partners with Starlink for IoT connectivity for beekeepers. | Iran struggles with fundamental internet access and stability, while technologically advanced nations focus on specialized, cutting-edge applications. |
| Public Service Delivery | Postal tracking is unhelpful, leading to undelivered packages. Fiber optic installation is highly bureaucratic, requiring customer intervention for basic tasks. | Australia implements glow-in-the-dark road markings to enhance safety on dangerous highways, reducing severe accidents by 83%. | Iran's public services are often inefficient and place a significant burden on citizens, contrasting with international efforts to proactively improve public safety and convenience. |
| Regulatory Environment | Private school fees are unregulated and exorbitant. Online taxi services are deemed illegal by city officials due to lack of traditional oversight. | Many developed countries offer free public education. Other nations integrate and regulate new services effectively. | A lack of transparent and effective regulation in Iran leads to price gouging, service disruption, and arbitrary enforcement. |
| Technological Priorities | The Minister of Communications promotes an Iranian fiber optic factory in Venezuela as 'diplomacy' amid persistent domestic internet outages and 'cyber warfare'. | New Zealand utilizes Starlink for niche IoT applications like monitoring beehives in remote areas. | Iranian officials appear to prioritize diplomatic technological ventures abroad while fundamental domestic technological needs remain unaddressed. |
