Regulation No. 266 of the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) 

This regulation by the CRA introduces new pricing tariffs for internet traffic. This regulation was approved as a measure to support the goals of the National Information Network (NIN) on November 12, 2017, and less than a month later it was communicated to all internet service providers (ISPs) and operators.

This regulation has set the upper and lower limits for internet tariffs in Iran. Furthermore, based on this legislation, internet consumption is divided into two categories: domestic and international, which are priced differently. Domestic/national internet traffic is priced at at least a third of the cost of International traffic, making it more expensive to use international services or VPNs. This price differentiation has resulted in a violation of Net Neutrality principles (equal and non-discriminatory access to the internet) by Iran.

Additionally, a section with the title “Fair Usage Threshold” has been included in this regulation, which has helped operators increase their prices significantly without violating the its goal of promoting competition and fair pricing in the field of internet access. In brief, the “Fair Usage Threshold” is a usage limit that is determined by the operator, and if the subscriber exceeds this limit, they are returned to a lower-quality basic service. To restore the original service, the subscriber must purchase a larger volume of data. By manipulating the “Fair Usage Threshold”, the operator can force the user to pay more money.