March 19, 2026: Last month Iran emerged from its self-imposed internet blackout that was used as part of an effort to curb anti-government protests. That January 8-28 blackout was more extreme than any nation had ever endured. Mobile networks, text messaging services, landlines were disabled and Starlink was blocked. When a few domestic services became available, the government removed specific social features, such as comment sections on news sites and chat boxes in online marketplaces.

What did remain operational, for a while at least, was the government controlled and monitored national Intranet. This system was only available inside Iran and users could not use it to contact anyone outside Iran without government permission and monitoring. The current system prevents Iranians from using VPNs or special SIM cards for phones to communicate. Also blocked are chat functions in nonpolitical apps like ridesharing or shopping platforms. Any channel that allows two people to exchange text is seen as a threat.

The Iranian government has its priorities and information control is more important than a functioning economy, growing poverty and the ability of Iranians to assemble to protest government policies or use the internet to discuss these problems with other Iranians or the outside world.

All this suppression came under attack at the end of February when the United States, Israeli and a few other nations declared war on Iran. If the current Iranian government collapses, the attacking coalition should promise prompt revival of internet and messaging service throughout the country. For many Iranians have discovered that the internet is something worth fighting and dying for. A post war Iranian communications net could also benefit from the addition of technologies that are harder to whitelist or block, such as mesh networks and D2C/Direct 2 Consumer explanations that bypass the choke points of state-controlled ISPs/Internet Service Suppliers.