Azerbaijan, Baku, September 17 /Trend, N. Umid/
Licenses for providing 2 Mbps speed internet to home users have been issued, Iranian deputy Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Ali Hakim Javadi said, Iranian Jahanesanat newspaper reported.
In the first phase of the project, some 400,000 home users will separated from internet and connected to national intranet with speed up to 2 Mbps, he added.
Hakim Javadi went on to note that, by this project the access speed to domestic websites will increase, resulting in an expansion of Iranian websites.
Since 2005, Iran has been developing a "national internet" or intranet to improve control over its content as well as domestic internet speed.
The project, which is separate from the World Wide Web, was scheduled to be completed by 2013. This network will be separated from the rest of the internet and is specifically for domestic use.
Authorities claim the "national internet" would not lead to a cut in internet access.
But critics warn it could allow the government to cut off access to foreign sites, restricting access to information and preventing users from sharing information online.
It should be recalled that, more than 45 million people are using internet in Iran, IRNA reported on April 7, citing data released by the National Internet Development Center.