Iran makes the Internet only 128K

[Darth Garth]

Iran's Islamic government has opened a new front in its drive to stifle domestic political dissent and combat the influence of Western culture -- by banning high-speed internet links.

In a blow to the country's estimated five million internet users, service providers have been told to restrict online speeds to 128 kilobytes a second and been forbidden from offering fast broadband packages. The move by Iran's telecommunications regulator will make it more difficult to download foreign music, films and television programmes, which the authorities blame for undermining Islamic culture among the younger generation. It will also impede efforts by political opposition groups to organise by uploading information on to the net.

The order follows a purge on illegal satellite dishes, which millions of Iranians use to clandestinely watch Western television. Police have seized thousands of dishes in recent months.

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.asp...aking_news/breaking_news__international_news/

 

[MrSmith]

And we thought we had problems.

 

[Syndyre]

It's always worse for somebody else. Although read somewhere about the govt wanting to build a nationwide broadband network, if they somehow had a monopoly on intl internet access, which everyone might accept at first if it was cheap, whats to stop them building a "Great Firewall of China' style system.

 

[Darth Garth]

Well thankfully we still have freedom of speech in this country no matter your feeling regarding Telkom and this govt and it's policies.

 

[antowan]

Well thankfully we still have freedom of speech in this country no matter your feeling regarding Telkom and this govt and it's policies.

Do we? When most folks in this country cannot afford an Internet connection? We know the situation can easily be remedied. The questions is, why isn't it? Makes you think, doesn't it...?

We might have 4Mbps connections, but who can afford them? If only most our people could afford a 128Kbps line... this country would be much more free...

 

[Darth Garth]

Do we? When most folks in this country cannot afford an Internet connection? We know the situation can easily be remedied. The questions is, why isn't it? Makes you think, doesn't it...?

You and some others around here seem to think that having broadband is the be all and end all of all things for all people in S.A ... realize you live in third world country struggling with far more important issues than giving people access to cheap broadband.

And what do you think people did before we had the internet ???.

Yep they read newspapers and listened to the radio just like the majority of people in the world still do now in the world today.

Sometimes folks like you Antowan you must really come down back to Earth a little bit.

 

[Syndyre]

You and some others around here seem to think that having broadband is the be all and end all of all things for all people in S.A ... realize you live in third world country struggling with far more important issues than giving people access to cheap broadband.

And what do you think people did before we had the internet ???.

Yep they read newspapers and listened to the radio just like the majority of people in the world still do now in the world today.

Sometimes folks like you Antowan you must really come down back to Earth a little bit.

True but the internet is much less easier to control than TV or newspapers and allows for a lot more debate.

 

[GavinMannion]

Do we (freedom of speech)? When most folks in this country cannot afford an Internet connection? We know the situation can easily be remedied. The questions is, why isn't it? Makes you think, doesn't it...?

We might have 4Mbps connections, but who can afford them? If only most our people could afford a 128Kbps line... this country would be much more free...

Seriously Antowan, that posting makes absolutely no sense.... Slower internet has bugger all to do with freedom of speech...

Our government might be many things but comparing the slow roll out of high speed internet to not having freedom of speech is seriously going to far.

Lets keep our heads screwed on the right way....

 

[krycor]

The difference between the normal form of communication and internet is this.. the forum people are freer to say what they want and every person becomes a spokesperson for his/her view unlike radio/tv whereby the views of those that control the form of communication are expressed to the masses.

But its not just broadband/net access, telephone cost in SA sucks too and thats extremely basic.

 

[Syndyre]

Seriously Antowan, that posting makes absolutely no sense.... Slower internet has bugger all to do with freedom of speech...

Our government might be many things but comparing the slow roll out of high speed internet to not having freedom of speech is seriously going to far.

Lets keep our heads screwed on the right way....

Maybe not slower but affordable. If dialup was dirt cheap and broadband was expensive you'd have a point but the fact is the area where you can have the most access to information is the internet.

 

[GavinMannion]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH... Talking, giving your point of view, writing articles on your opinion... None of that has anything to do with the Internet...

The internet is a tool that can aide in getting your opinion out or reading other peoples opinions but it has absolutely nothing to do with Freedom of Speech. This is not a difficult concept.

Trying to say the SA govt is impeding on our freedom of speech because internet is to expensive is ludicrous to say the least.

 

[krycor]

uhm but it is isn't ? Is it not like education being expensive and then saying education is for the elite only? Isn't that why the gov makes a notable effort to make access to education affordable?

 

[Darth Garth]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH... Talking, giving your point of view, writing articles on your opinion... None of that has anything to do with the Internet...

Indeed.

All you need is a simple printing press to print your pamphlets and posters ... just ask the folks in the UDF how well that worked here in S.A.

No wonder you needed a license to own a typewriter and photocopier in Saddam's Iraq.

 

[sludge]

FREEDOM OF SPEECH... Talking, giving your point of view, writing articles on your opinion... None of that has anything to do with the Internet...

The internet is a tool that can aide in getting your opinion out or reading other peoples opinions but it has absolutely nothing to do with Freedom of Speech. This is not a difficult concept.

Trying to say the SA govt is impeding on our freedom of speech because internet is to expensive is ludicrous to say the least.

Indeed.

All you need is a simple printing press to print your pamphlets and posters ... just ask the folks in the UDF how well that worked here in S.A.

Who the hell still uses a typewriter???? ROFLMAO tibby. You and gavinmannion are missing the point, times have changed my man. When last did you see an ox pulling a log through the street??

The internet has replaced the typewriter... The internet is a medium on which to communicate. Use your noggin for a second, what do you do on the net?? You read other people's opinions, the news, use it for e-mail, posting on forums, IRC, VOIP, entertainment, all these things are based on one important factor : communication.

Limiting a persons ability to communicate over any medium is not good.

Also, being a third world country has sweet blue buggerall to do with it, I know many people who are unemployed, employed in minimum wage jobs etc. who owns computers. Lets say our muni here in PTA gets the wifi mesh of the ground, subsidise or hand out wireless network adapters and all those people can be on the net or on a city wide network, free to express their e-pinions, share thoughts with other people etc. Maybe even learning themselves enough
to start their own small business etc.

Anyways, back to the topic, I've seen numerous articles about young Iranian and Saudi's who embraces the net. This will come as a huge blow to them.

Why is it that a certain goverments always think they know what is best for their country's populace.... It's sad...

 

[antowan]

Seriously Antowan, that posting makes absolutely no sense.... Slower internet has bugger all to do with freedom of speech...

Our government might be many things but comparing the slow roll out of high speed internet to not having freedom of speech is seriously going to far.

Lets keep our heads screwed on the right way....

Okay, my post was about the cost rather than the speed.

I said

"Do we? When most folks in this country cannot afford an Internet connection? "

I think you would agree that it is more than fair to sit with your hands in your hair when you look at the South African telecom situation. Questions like "why aren't they opening up the market?" comes to mind. We all know Telkom would have to drop its prices under due competative pressure. It makes perfect sense yet it isn't getting through to the powers that be.

They say the right things, but do the wrong things or even worse, nothing!

When looking at this very much repetative scenario one has to ask yourself, why?

This thread just explained to you that Iran is clamping down on the net by narrowing the pipe. My postulate wasn't that we have no freedom of speech due to slow rollout.

I am saying we might not have proper freedom of speech because the sources of communication are too damn expensive to come by.
Freedom of speech affords you the right to say certain things without fear of persecution. To utilize this freedom you need to have something to say and a way of saying it.

Pretty difficult if you are kept in the dark because you cannot afford a resource that allows you to inform yourself and express your opinion. A normal bloody telephone line...

Now more than 60% of the folks in this country have mobile phones. Try having a nice chat on a mobile phone or (any phone!!!) without worrying about money if your basic income is under R1000 per month...

Yes, we are a nation afforded "freedom of speech" but where the majority don't have anything to say. Those who do cannot afford to say it!

I hope I am wrong. This is just my opinion...

 

[antowan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech

 

[antowan]

Yep they read newspapers and listened to the radio just like the majority of people in the world still do now in the world today.

With one major difference. If a person living in a township or some rural area even further away reading a newspaper or listening to the radio wants to give feedback on what was said, he/she must walk to a place where there are telephone/fax/email services if he wants the message to be delivered same day. If he/she has a mobile phone there is a serious cost consideration for the average South African... "Is it worth it to make this call or not?" (if there is even reception!!!)

A person in any country with a liberal telecom market where communication is affordable doesn't have the same cost limitation... I believe this cost limitation to be significant and detremental to Freedom of Speech. I'm affraid the citizen in your country haven't got Freedom of Speech, but rather Freedom of Hearing & Reading (what people think he/she must hear/read)...