Iran Opens Internet Pro to Select Workers Amid Blackout, Deepening 2-Tier Access
Updated
Updated · Arab News · May 15
Iran Opens Internet Pro to Select Workers Amid Blackout, Deepening 2-Tier Access
5 articles · Updated · Arab News · May 15
Since early April, Iran has let lawyers, doctors, teachers and business owners apply for broader access under “Internet Pro,” carving out exceptions during the country’s longest internet blackout.
Officials say the program is needed to keep professionals working and to block espionage during wartime after US and Israeli airstrikes in February, with approvals believed to involve intelligence and security bodies.
20 million to 35 million tomans — roughly $240 to $420 — is the average monthly wage, making paid premium access another hit for households and online businesses already squeezed by sanctions, war and lost customers.
Critics say the scheme entrenches inequality by reserving global internet for people with money, status or connections, echoing earlier “white SIM card” access for insiders while others rely on costly VPNs or risky Starlink devices.
The shift points to a more durable, tiered internet model in Iran, where wartime controls are increasingly shaping who can communicate, work and reach the outside world.
As Iran pioneers a 'tiered internet,' which countries will be the next to adopt this model of digital control?
Beyond blackouts, Iran is monetizing censorship. Is this the future of how authoritarian states will profit from repression?
Can decentralized tech like Starlink outmaneuver a state's power to jam, hunt, and punish its users?
Inside Iran’s 2026 Internet Blackout: Tiered Access, Economic Fallout, and the Rise of Digital Resistance
Overview
During periods of domestic unrest in Iran, the government imposes sweeping internet shutdowns to curb the spread of information and limit protest coordination. In January, amid massive anti-regime protests, the regime shut down the internet, causing immediate and severe consequences for the public, especially small businesses like Sarina's e-shop. Ordinary internet access became heavily restricted and expensive, leading to the introduction of a new system called 'Internet Pro,' which offers a much higher level of access for a privileged few. This shift has deepened the digital divide and sparked widespread public anger over inequality and restricted freedoms.