Rising Internet users struggle with poor service

The number of Iraqi internet users is growing dramatically. Today it is even possible to get home internet access, a step that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Yet, despite this growth, services and quality remain poor, prompting immense frustration among the country’s web-users.

"A Good Investment Opportunity," says the sign fixed across the window of Ayman Thafer’s internet café located on Palestine Street, central Baghdad. Al-Burjain café was one of the most famous internet cafes in Baghdad following the fall of the old regime in April 2003. Yet, its owner, thirty-seven year old Thafer is now desperately trying to sell or rent out the shop as internet usage increasingly moves to home access.