WANA (Apr 29) – In the past two months, Iran has faced an unprecedented digital blackout. NetBlocks reported that access to the international internet is only around 2%, with the entire country having been under communication restrictions for a total of 1416 hours.

 

This prolonged outage has not only disrupted the daily lives of users but also severely impacted the country’s digital economy.

 

Only a limited group of users, including holders of “white lines,” “Starlink” users, and some recipients of “Pro Internet,” have had restricted access to the global network.

 

Economic estimates suggest that digital businesses are losing between 18.75 million to 31.25 million USD daily; over the course of sixty days, the total damage to this sector is estimated at between 1.125 million to 1.875 million USD. Decreased revenues and ongoing commitments have put some companies at managerial risk and led to limited staff layoffs.

Farhad, an Iranian man, looks at his mobile phone, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 15, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Reasons for Internet Outage

Government officials and domestic analysts generally attribute the reduction in international internet access to a combination of security, political, and technical factors.

 

Rising regional tensions, concerns over the release of sensitive information, and managing social and political crises are stated as the main reasons for restricting communications.

 

Previous experiences have shown that reducing bandwidth and limiting access are tools for controlling network pressure and managing the flow of information in critical situations. In this framework, Pro Internet was introduced as a temporary solution to maintain communication for professionals and businesses.

 

The war initiated by the U.S. and Israel against Iran on February 28 intensified the internet restrictions. With the outbreak of this imposed war, Iran’s internet was cut off, and this outage has continued for almost 60 days.

 

Even the announcement of a ceasefire has not been enough to restore the country’s internet to normal. Many experts and analysts attribute this situation to the long-term impacts of the war and the need to control communication networks for crisis management.

 

Vahid Farid, an internet expert, explained that one of the most vulnerable sectors in the current situation is the country’s internet infrastructure. He pointed out that the servers have not received any security updates for nearly two months, which puts the country at serious risk of cyber threats.

An Iranian woman walk in a street in Tehran, Iran December, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Digital Segregation and Pro Internet

Both the concept of a “pro internet” and internet segregation are not only undermining the security of users’ information, but in practice, they have created a digital divide in society.

 

Reports indicate that in some centers, users have been able to access Pro Internet by paying up to 7 million tomans (approximately 43,750 USD). This has raised concerns about the formation of a black market for Pro Internet access, further exacerbating issues of internet access inequality.

Pro Internet, although temporarily introduced as a solution for businesses and specific groups, has in effect become a tool for social and digital segregation. The National Information Network, initially introduced as a tool to maintain communication during internet outages, has now become a factor in prolonging the situation and in causing continuous outages.

 

Pro Internet: Features and Challenges

The Iranian government has emphasized that Pro Internet is a policy approved by the Supreme National Security Council, with the goal of maintaining communication for businesses under conditions of restriction.

 

Government spokesperson Mohajerani stated that the government opposes communication inequality and that the situation regarding internet access will change once conditions return to normal.

 

Sattar Hashemi, Iran’s Minister of Communications, explained that internet restrictions, in addition to affecting business resilience and the flow of learning, have also impacted public trust. According to him, the digital economy is no longer a marginal sector but has become one of the main drivers of economic growth and employment.

 

Hashemi stressed that the Ministry’s approach is not a temporary choice, but rather a definitive strategy, with managing the balance between network independence, sustainability, and leveraging global opportunities being the main challenge.

 

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However, field and technical analyses show that the implementation model of Pro Internet differs from global standards for professional internet. Worldwide, Pro Internet typically refers to ensuring network quality, including low ping, dedicated bandwidth, and continuous connectivity.

 

In the Iranian model, the main feature of these packages is “access to international platforms by bypassing general filtering” for specific groups.

 

Three key factors highlight the difference:

 

  • Group Authentication: Access to the service requires approval from a professional organization, a professional card, or an organizational recommendation.
  • Selective Access to Protocols: Certain international protocols and ports that are blocked for the general public are only open to Pro users.
  • Informal Market: Reports indicate the emergence of an informal market for Pro Internet access for regular users, where special access is granted in exchange for several million tomans.

 

This situation has led Pro Internet, although marketed as professional, to effectively function as a form of digital segregation. Analysts believe this model could lead to the digital division of society: companies and individuals connected to specific institutions enjoy full access, while small businesses and the general public remain restricted.

People walk in Tehran Bazaar, amid a ceasefire between U.S. and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, April 21, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Judicial Oversight of Pro-Internet

The issues arising from the provision of Pro Internet have also escalated to the judiciary level. The Head of the Judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Eje’i, issued an immediate order to investigate the misuse and discrimination in the distribution of “white SIM cards,” emphasizing that any abuse of this system will be pursued within the framework of public rights.

 

The Current Reality

Despite the pro-Internet scheme and the ongoing restrictions, widespread access to the internet has not yet been restored for the general public, and the country’s digital economy is facing significant challenges.

 

Pro Internet, in addition to its challenges, has served as a temporary tool to maintain business operations and communication for professionals. However, the future of the internet in Iran requires genuine decision-making, transparency, and a balanced approach to managing security and public access.