Promise of High-Speed Internet Alongside Announcement of Domestic Internet Launch by 2025

The Minister of Communications of the Islamic Republic announced the launch of the 'National Information Network', or national internet, by the end of 2025. Eisa Zarepour stated that the implementation of this plan requires 10 years, but they aim to complete it by the end of 2025, which is the final year of the thirteenth government. He mentioned that 'people think that after the implementation of this plan, the internet will be cut off,' claiming that contrary to this belief, after the 'nationalization of the internet', high-speed internet services will be offered throughout the Islamic Republic. According to the final text of the seventh development plan, 99% of the national information network must be operational by the end of the plan, which is in 2027. This plan is referred to by some as the national internet, by others as the 'national internet network', and some call it 'national intranet'. The discussion of national internet began in the winter of 2006 as a bill with a budget of 10 billion tomans, which was approved in the Industries and Mines Commission but rejected in the open session of the parliament. According to Tejarat News, a few months later, in June 2007, the cabinet approved operational plans for the establishment and utilization of this network from 2007 to 2009. On August 19, 2007, the Economic Council agreed to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology's request for investment in the national data network project for 350 billion tomans. After several years, in August 2021, the 'nationalization of the internet' plan was initiated in the open session of the parliament, but due to widespread protests from cyber activists and even some members of parliament, this plan was removed from the agenda and left unresolved until the end of 2021. In late April 2022, an advisor to the Minister of Communications announced that this plan had been referred to the Supreme Council of Cyberspace for review with a letter from the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Amid widespread protests in Iran, Hassan Norouzi, a member of parliament, announced on February 6, 2023, that this plan had been approved in a joint commission and would soon be sent to the Guardian Council. However, the Ham Mihan newspaper reported on September 1 of this year: 'The parliament, which still has the approval of the protection plan on the agenda of the special commission of Article 85, has been seeking to limit access to the internet since the early days, occasionally announcing news of its approval by this commission and its submission to the Guardian Council, but no official news has been announced about it yet, and it seems that due to the upcoming elections, the current representatives of the parliament are refraining from reintroducing and resolving this plan.' Filtering, 'fruitless but profitable'; 80% of Iranians use 'VPNs'; a 30 trillion toman market for VPNs; Iranians use the internet for an average of 169 minutes daily; a parliamentary report on the filtering process in the country; a dream that has vanished; Iraq lifted the ban on 'Telegram' after criticism from 'groups close to the Islamic Republic'; Soraya Rezaei, the business development manager of Myket, was arrested; crime: criticism of Radan; the reading platform 'Taqche' was filtered; experts warn about despair and youth emigration; mandatory hijab | Ministry of Culture: 'Taqche' does not have a license to operate; users: it is out of reach!