The first phase of Iran’s National Information Network (National Internet) was launched August 28 during a ceremony attended by First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, Tasnim news agency reported.
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According to a report by Mehr, the first phase involves providing access to e-government services and domestic web pages. The second phase which will come on stream by February 2017, will include domestic video services with affordable prices for end users, business development based on IT, and formation of an economy of datacenters, as well as increase of the quality of infrastructure services for businesses.
What authorities didn’t say is that this plan would also allow them to spy on its citizens and control the content they access online.
The idea behind the project was first made public in 2010, and it was originally meant to be fully operational by 2015. It intends to replace the current system, in which officials seek to limit which parts of the existing internet people have access to via filters – an effort Mr Vaezi described as being “inefficient'”.
“All domestic activities, services, applications [and] various types of contents. are included in the national internet”, the minister declared at the launch on Sunday.
The minister added that the initiative would make it easier to combat cyber-threats.
But the British human rights campaign group Article 19 has warned that this might not be the case.
The third and final phase will complete a month later, in March 2017, when Iran will introduce new services aimed at allowing companies involved with global trade to access and deliver content to Iranians.
Critics say the network may eventually lead to more restrictions for users, but officials deny that.
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As adopted by the Supreme Council of Cyberspace Iran’s national internet network will operate domestically and independently from all other networks in the world (internet).
