BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 26. Internet outages
in Iran are causing significant damage to the country’s
macroeconomy, with daily losses estimated at 50 trillion rials
(about $50 million), Iranian Minister of Communications and
Information Technology Seyed Sattar Hashemi said during a meeting
on the impact of connectivity disruptions on the digital economy,
Trend
reports.
Hashemi noted that the outages have cost the digital economy 5
trillion rials (about $5 million) daily. He emphasized that the
digital sector accounts for at least 5% of Iran’s overall economy,
employing around 10 million people.
“The calculations show that companies and internet-based
workplaces can withstand the situation for roughly 20 days, and the
country is currently reaching that limit. It is crucial to take
action now to mitigate the damage using existing resources. Support
should start with small enterprises, although severe conditions are
now affecting larger companies as well. It is hoped that normal
communications will be restored soon,” Hashemi said.
The protests, which erupted in late December, were primarily
triggered by the sharp depreciation of the national currency,
escalating inflation, and various other economic hardships. While
casualty reports have been circulating, the exact figures remain
undisclosed.
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