Internet access heavily obstructed in Iran

At the threshold of February 11 protests, internet access has become more and more precarious in Iran.

Internet users report that Gmail and Yahoo mail are consistently disrupted and in some cities internet access has been completely cut off for many hours during the day.

In the past eight months, internet access has repeatedly been restricted especially around the time of anti-government gatherings.

Election protesters have announced that they will once more stage demonstrations on February 11, anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, to protest against the alleged fraudulent re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June.

Social networking sites and electronic mail have been the main method of contact between protesters in the past months.

An internet service provider interviewed by the State news agency IRNA announced that the disruptions are due to the loss of a cable and reported a 30-percent decrease in service persisting through the next few days.

Earlier however, they had attributed the interruptions to "developments and expansions in the Tehran-Mashad corridor."

Reformist websites have reported long intervals of complete internet blackout in Kermanshah and Mashad as well as several northern cities of Iran.

Most independent media and anti-government websites as well as social networking sites have been blocked and some users are using proxies to enter these sites.