Radio Zamaneh – Internet users in Iran have been faced with continuous service disruptions and a drop in internet speed in recent weeks.
ISNA reports: “In recent weeks, repeated disruptions have tried the patience of customers of telecommunications and private internet companies.”
ISNA says that, every week, reports from the Ministry of Communications indicate that it is working on improving the speed and quality of internet service and that the current problems will be overcome, but no improvement has so far been made.
Some internet providers say the repeated loss of service and reduced speeds are caused by “the testing of new filtering software.”
Iranian authorities block thousands of internet sites, describing their censorship efforts as part of the so-called “soft war.”
They claim that Iran’s enemies are constantly threatening the Islamic Republic system by trying to transform its cultural and social values through the media. A government committee, comprised of 12 senior officials including the Prosecutor General and representatives from the education, telecommunications and intelligence ministries, determines which sites need to be blocked for Iranian internet users.
Iran is considered as one of the chief “enemies of internet” by international media rights groups.