The document discusses the key challenges facing IoT development in Iran, including: 1) Establishing clear regulations for IoT given its importance for industrial development. 2) Access to affordable sensors and modules, as well as protocols, is limited in Iran. 3) There is a lack of accessible multi-purpose IoT platforms in Iran to process and analyze sensor data in real-time.

1. IoT Challenges in Iran
Zahra Lotfi
R&D Engineer @ PeykAsa
Winter 2019

2. IoT as an important part of the ‘4th industrial revolution’
requires clear and restrict rules which should be established
by governments and regulators. In August 2018, Iranian
National Center for Cyberspace has provided a comprehensive
rule set, however applying it in all aspects of IoT remains as a
great challenge.
To connect “things” together, providing sensors and actuators
is a paramount. Implementing even a very simple IoT project
needs several number of electronic modules, while each of
which are usually sold in very high prices in Iran markets. On
the other hand, finding modules providing a good range of IoT
protocols is not easy at all.
1-Regulation
2-Sensors
&Things

3. Providing a multi-purpose platform which enables
transferring sensors data to process and analyze it as well as
to output results in real-time, is the barrier of IoT projects in
Iran. There are several powerful platforms provided by other
countries, but most of them are not accessible in Iran.
Smart buildings and connected vehicles are two significant
usages of IoT. These require appliances and automobiles
equipped by different sensors during manufacturing. Iranian
factories have not planned for such products yet, while this is
of vital importance in order to deploy smart cities and IIoT
(Industrial IoT).
3-Platforms
4-Smart
Appliances

4. In spite of increasing popularity of IoT around the world, it is
still an eccentric subject in Iran. Thus the public tendency to
IoT is very low and this makes IoT providers to put a great
deal of time and effort in order to train their potential
customers before proposing their IoT solutions.
Not surprisingly, protecting confidential information has been
a matter of concern for all people especially when it comes to
novel technologies. IoT will not proceed if providers cannot
guarantee the security of users’ data throughout their end-to-
end solution from devices to platforms and mobile apps.
5-Societal
Awareness
6-Security
&Privacy

5. There are several network protocols and standards which
have been arising along with the IoT hype. Short-range
protocols such as Zigbee, BLE, and WIFI, as well as long-
range ones like SigFox, NB-IoT, and LoRa, facilitate the
connection of “things” to networks. However, a few of them
have launched just as a ‘pilot version’ in Iran.
Providing IoT apps and services is just like fighting on the
frontline of the battle do to the hardship of dealing with end
users. This, however, is obliged by most of Iranian IT
companies because of their simplistic attitude to this reality.
Producing a reliable, compatible, and high-available product
with a perfect UI is not easy at all.
7-Connectivity
8-Apps&
Services

6. IoT is usually considered as a great paradigm shift which
besides huge amount of investment requires changes in
business process, procedures, and even human resource. This
makes leaders be reluctant to embark the journey of IoT as a
pioneer, and resist on kicking off such project.
Considering all these challenges, it seems reasonable that
most people have a conservative attitude on this trend. Before
planning for setting of such a challenging path, businesses
MUST think carefully about all aspects of launching their IoT
product and ask this question frequently: “Are customers
really willing to pay for it?”
9-Enterprises
Resistance
10-Justifying
it!