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The unveiling ceremony for the fifth Internet Quality Report took place on Sunday, August 3, 2025, at the Iran Chamber of Commerce. Published by the Iranian E-Commerce Association, the report ranks Iran 97th out of 100 countries globally in internet quality.
Digital Economy Challenges
Nima Qazi, head of the Iranian E-Commerce Association, addressed the audience during the ceremony. He stated, "We are presenting this report during a time when attacks on the digital economy and e-commerce sector have reached unprecedented levels. In my 15 years of experience, I have never seen such challenges." Qazi emphasized that the main infrastructure of the digital economy - the internet - continues to face significant disruptions, further exacerbated by economic realities.
He added, "Three key infrastructures for growth in this sector are internet access, quality regulation, and financial support. The country’s official plan aims to grow the digital economy to contribute 10% of GDP. However, current actions contradict this goal." According to Qazi, these conditions are discouraging investors, including government-affiliated entities, from supporting the sector.
Ownership Disputes in Digital Ecosystem
Sadina Abai, head of the ICT Commission at Iran's Chamber of Commerce, highlighted ownership issues within the digital economy. Abai noted, "We were pursuing data governance to clarify data ownership. However, authorities shifted focus to claiming ownership of platforms themselves. Such actions weaken an already fragile economy and hinder progress."
Nima Qazi also discussed recent restrictions on companies entering the stock market. He referred to a case involving Hesam Armandehi, founder of Divar, who was disqualified from joining his company's board due to IRGC intelligence unit intervention. "Previously, companies had to include trusted government entities in their shareholding structure before entering the stock market. Now there is an open demand for partial ownership of companies," he stated.
VPN Usage Among Youth
Hamidreza Ahmadi, vice-chairman of the Internet Commission at the Iranian E-Commerce Association, presented detailed findings from the report. "Iran ranks 97th globally in internet quality due to unreliability, restrictions, and slowness," he said. According to a survey conducted for the report, 93% of youth aged 15–30 rely on VPNs to bypass filtering policies. He added that Starlink usage in Iran is steadily increasing month by month.
Policy Inefficiencies and Class-Based Internet
Ahmadi criticized inefficiencies in Iran Access policy. "During a recent cyber war lasting 12 days, major financial organizations using servers within Iran were hacked. This proves Iran Access does not address core issues," he stated.
Pouya Pirhosseinlou, chairman of the Internet Commission at the Iranian E-Commerce Association, focused on class-based internet policies. He said such policies worsen problems and called for open access for all citizens. He added that restrictions like HTTP/3 and IPV6 have not been fully resolved despite partial reopening efforts.
Pirhosseinlou concluded by urging authorities to prioritize citizens’ needs over political agendas and emphasized the importance of an open and fast internet for all Iranians.
