Iran’s Prolonged Internet Blackout and the Contested “Internet Pro” Tiered Access

Since 8 January 2026, Iran has imposed a near-total internet shutdown, now over 70 days—the longest state-ordered blackout. In February, the Mobile Communications Company of Iran (MCI) introduced “Internet Pro,” a paid service that grants pre-approved users faster, less-filtered global access via “white SIM cards.”

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The shutdown followed nationwide protests and was briefly eased before tightening after U.S. and Israeli strikes on 28 February. Iran has repeatedly used temporary internet cuts to curb dissent; the current prolonged blackout adds a tiered access model unprecedented in scope.

CBC News

Duration exceeds 70 days. Average monthly wage: 20–35 million tomans ($240–$420). “Internet Pro” costs 2 million tomans for 50 GB annually, activation 2.8 million, plus 40 000 tomans per extra gigabyte; ordinary internet is 8 000 tomans per gigabyte. Daily economic loss estimates range $250 million–$3 billion, with about 2 million jobs lost. Human Rights Activists in Iran cite $1.8 billion losses from virtual businesses, while black-market VPN prices have surged.

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The blackout cripples commerce, hampers banking, and isolates citizens from global information, deepening economic contraction and psychological strain. Tiered access intensifies inequality, threatening social cohesion and undermining Iran’s digital economy.

CNN

President Masoud Pezeshkian’s office has denounced tiered internet as “unfair” and said no clear rationale exists. Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi affirmed universal internet rights and called the whitelist system invalid. The Supreme National Security Council approved “Internet Pro” in February. Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei condemned profiteering from the service and urged prosecution of “discriminatory and corrupt” access.

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Labor groups, including the 300 000-member nurses’ union and lawyers’ associations, have rejected “Internet Pro” in solidarity with ordinary workers. The Iranian Psychiatric Association warned that unequal access heightens psychological stress and erodes trust, reflecting widespread frustration over costly, limited connectivity.

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Analysts differ on economic damage: Mahdi Ghodsi cites $250 million daily losses, while other estimates reach $3 billion including indirect effects. The Supreme National Security Council approved “Internet Pro,” yet the President’s office disputes its legality.

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> “Imagine dealing with unemployment and crazy inflation, and somehow managing to scrape together 500,000 or a million tomans (about $13), only to spend it on a couple of gigabytes of VPN just so you can get on X or other platforms, check the news, and have a voice,” — Faraz, 38, Tehran resident

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> “Tiered internet or a ‘whitelist’ system has no validity,” — Sattar Hashemi, Communications Minister

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> “unacceptable that unqualified individuals or profiteers exploit this platform for financial abuse,” — Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, head of the judiciary

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> “What makes Iran's shutdown unprecedented is the combination of scale and severity,” — Mahsa Alimardani, Witness (rights group)

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Reformist groups are preparing to use the controversy to rally public support in forthcoming political debates, seeking to pressure authorities to broaden internet access.

CNN