The accompanying passage from the Islamic Republic News Agency quotes Iran's Communication Minister as saying that, since 2013, internet usage has "increased from 3.5 million to nearly 40 million users," and that "internet penetration has increased to about 50 percent of our country." [...]

Iran's population is 70 percent urban. If only 50 percent of Iran's population use the internet, then in all likelihood, Iran's rural population still lags behind in connectivity. However, if internet penetration continues to grow, the Iranian government may face security challenges. During the 1999 student unrest, Iranian authorities shut down the cell phone system. A decade later, after the post-election unrest, Iranian authorities clamped down on the internet and SMS technology. Technology increasingly provides workarounds to enable freedom from government systems; so news from beyond government sources may soon penetrate further into society.