The Iranian Parliament mandated the Ministry of Communications to launch the "National Information Network" by the end of 1400.

On Wednesday, March 4, the Islamic Consultative Assembly mandated Iran's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to launch a "National Information Network" by the end of 1400.

For years, the Iranian government has been trying to implement a plan to separate the domestic Internet (intranet) from the global Internet under the name of "national network" for security reasons, a process that has intensified after the November 2019 protests.

The recent decision by the parliament was made within the framework of considering the 1400 budget.

According to this resolution, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology "must implement the National Information Network by the end of 1400 under the supervision of the National Cyberspace Center, within the framework of the requirements of the Supreme Cyberspace Council and the strategic supervision of the National Cyberspace Center."

Alireza Salimi, a member of parliament and the designer of this proposal in the Industries Commission, said that "based on the Sixth Development Plan law, the Ministry of Communications was obligated to launch a secure and sustainable national information network, but this law has not been implemented."

As estimated by the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly in May of this year, about 19 trillion tomans have been spent on creating the national internet since last year.

The issue of a "national Internet" in Iran began after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government came to power, and was later pursued by the Ministry of Communications under the title "National Internet Network."

Cyberspace experts refer to this plan, currently known as the "National Information Network," as the "key to disconnect from the global Internet."

Source: Radio Farda