Iran Bans High Speed Internet
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James Joyner | Wednesday, October 18, 2006 |
In order to stifle debate, the Iranian government has banned high speed Internet access for its people.
Iran’s Islamic government has opened a new front in its drive to stifle domestic political dissent and combat the influence of western culture – by banning high-speed internet links.
In a blow to the country’s estimated 5 million internet users, service providers have been told to restrict online speeds to 128 kilobytes a second and been forbidden from offering fast broadband packages. The move by Iran’s telecommunications regulator will make it more difficult to download foreign music, films and television programmes, which the authorities blame for undermining Islamic culture among the younger generation. It will also impede efforts by political opposition groups to organise by uploading information on to the net.
The order follows a purge on illegal satellite dishes, which millions of Iranians use to clandestinely watch western television. Police have seized thousands of dishes in recent months.
The latest step has drawn condemnation from MPs, internet service companies and academics, who say it will hamper Iran’s progress. “Every country in the world is moving towards modernisation and a major element of this is high-speed internet access,” said Ramazan-ali Sedeghzadeh, chairman of the parliamentary telecommunications committee. “The country needs it for development and access to contemporary science.”
Quite so. The problem is that the access to information vital to economic modernization makes it much harder for repressive regimes to control their population. Michael Gorbachev learned that lesson the hard way.
The Communist government of the People’s Republic of China has tried to balance these competing demands and has had more success than others. They have still paid an enormous price in human capital, though.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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Clever, in the short run.
In america they call it non net neutrality and it is a very popular idea with fascists and despot wanna-bes....also known as republicans who are in debt to the telecom industry.
APPARENTLY; SO DID MY PROVIDER![LOL]
Large corporations are many in the government in this country feel that the Internet has leveled the playing field just a bit too much and want to do away with net neutrality.
So before we get too far up on our high horse scolding the dictatorial government in Iran, we ought to take a close look at how good of a job we are doing protecting freedom and democracy right here at home.
At least this way they won't be able to download those AQ beheading videos off the internet.
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