For more than two months, Iran has faced one of its longest internet blackouts ever. While millions of ordinary citizens struggle with severely restricted access, a privileged group enjoys high-speed, nearly unrestricted service through a program called “Internet Pro.” This unequal system has sparked widespread outrage and highlighted deep divisions within Iran’s government.
The nationwide internet shutdown began on January 8, 2026, during anti-government protests. Although some restrictions were briefly eased, they tightened again after U.S. and Israeli strikes in late February. For many Iranians who depend on the internet for work, education, or staying informed, the blackout has been devastating.
A Divided Digital Society
To ease complaints from businesses hurt by the restrictions, authorities launched Internet Pro in February. The service is offered through the Mobile Communications Company of Iran (MCI), which has close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It provides stable connections and access to international websites that are normally blocked.
Users must apply and prove they have a legitimate business, academic, or scientific need. In practice, this has created two classes of citizens: a “digital elite” with fast, open internet and everyone else, who face heavy filtering, slow speeds, and expensive black-market VPNs.
“Imagine dealing with unemployment and crazy inflation, and somehow managing to scrape together 500,000 or a million tomans (about $13) just to buy a couple of gigabytes of VPN so you can check news or use X,” said Faraz, a 38-year-old from Tehran. The average monthly wage in Iran is only about 20 to 35 million tomans ($240–$420). Seeing others with full access while struggling yourself, he added, feels like “a punch to the gut.”
Independent Iranian media outlets have strongly criticized the system. One publication described it as splitting society into a privileged elite and “digital subjects” trapped behind filters and costly workarounds. A lawyer interviewed by Shargh newspaper called it a fundamental redefinition of who has the right to access the internet.
High Costs and Economic Damage
The economic impact has been severe. According to Human Rights Activists in Iran, the shutdown has cost the country about $1.8 billion in the past two months — a figure supported by Iran’s Chamber of Commerce. Many small online businesses have suffered or closed entirely.
Black-market VPN prices have skyrocketed. Ordinary restricted internet costs around 8,000 tomans per gigabyte, while Internet Pro offers packages such as 50 GB for a year at about 2 million tomans plus activation fees. Some Iranians have turned to smuggled Starlink satellite dishes for unrestricted access, but these are illegal and carry serious risks, including arrest.
Divisions at the Top
The controversy has exposed tensions inside the Iranian regime. President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government has publicly opposed the tiered system, calling the restrictions unfair and saying officials failed to justify them. Communications Minister Sattar Hashemi stated that high-quality internet is every Iranian’s right and insisted his ministry had no role in creating Internet Pro.
Hardline officials, however, have defended the program. It was approved by the Supreme National Security Council, and figures like Mohammad Amin Aghamiri, who oversees cyberspace controls, have supported it. Analysts note that the IRGC and other conservative elements appear to be using the system to maintain control.
Growing Public Backlash
Criticism has come from many directions. Iran’s nurses’ union, lawyers’ groups, and even the Iranian Psychiatric Association have spoken out. The psychiatrists warned that unequal access increases stress, feelings of marginalization, and loss of public trust.
Some officials have tried to defend the policy, claiming it prevents cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and helps essential workers like doctors, professors, and programmers. Others have admitted problems, with the head of the judiciary ordering prosecutors to crack down on people who illegally sell or misuse Internet Pro SIM cards for profit.
Despite these promises, frustration continues to grow. Many Iranians see the two-tier internet not just as a technical measure, but as a symbol of a regime that protects its insiders while leaving ordinary people cut off from the world. As the blackout drags on, the anger over who gets to stay connected — and who does not — may prove difficult for the government to contain.