Network Monitor – November 2021

Overall Situation   Multiple protests took place in the central province of Isfahan during November. These protests – participated in by a significant number of farmers and agricultural workers – have been taking place on and around the dried-out areas of the riverbed of the Zayanderud River. The demonstrations have been staged to voice angerContinue reading “Network Monitor – November 2021”

Network Monitor – October 2021

In our September report we observed an increasing number of disruptions to international traffic, particularly as we neared October. These distributions continued throughout October, to the extent that at times it was not possible to use international services in Iran. These disruptions were largely associated with decreased Internet speeds and bandwidth; in other words, theyContinue reading “Network Monitor – October 2021”

Network Monitor – September 2021

While no major disruptions were observed in September, a number of smaller disruptions affected Iranian internet users, including users reporting localised mobile data disruptions in the south of Iran, including in Hormozgan province, and the districts of Konarak and Zarabad in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Overall Situation This month, Filterwatch received several reports of InternetContinue reading “Network Monitor – September 2021”

Network Monitor – August 2021

Overall Situation Recent months have seen Iranians facing a number of protracted challenges accessing the global Internet – including localised shutdowns in Yasuj and Khuzestan, and disruptions due to power outages. By contrast, there were relatively few noteworthy disruptions in August. Any disruptions that the Filterwatch team did observe appeared to last for only aContinue reading “Network Monitor – August 2021”

Network Monitor – May 2021

In May, Iran suffered from several nationwide power outages, which contributed to a series of network disruptions throughout the month. According to Arash Karimbeigi, CEO of the major Iranian ISP Shatel, the power outages meant that mobile operators struggled to provide power for crucial communications infrastructure, including Base Transceiver Station (BTS) antennas. This report makesContinue reading “Network Monitor – May 2021”

Network Monitor – April 2021

The biggest news story in April was the Iranian authorities’ filtering of the audio based discussion app Clubhouse. Clubhouse rose to popularity in the country as rooms were created to discuss a range of social, political and economic issues ahead of June’s presidential elections. The surge of users joining the app did not go unnoticedContinue reading “Network Monitor – April 2021”

Network Monitor – March 2021

March saw fewer major, targeted internet disruptions than February, when users in Sistan and Baluchestan Province experienced an extended province-wide internet shutdown. However, Iranian internet users did experience continued periods of network instability throughout this month, as well as low-speed connections. In response to user complaints about its services, the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI)Continue reading “Network Monitor – March 2021”

Network Monitor – February 2021

February was a difficult month for Iranian internet users, with multiple network disruptions. The most significant incident was a complete shutdown of mobile data services across Sistan and Baluchestan Province between 24-27 February, in response to local anti-government protests. However, further disruptions took place earlier in the month, predominantly affecting users’ access to Instagram. ThisContinue reading “Network Monitor – February 2021”