Inside Iran’s Internet Blackout
From Telemetry Now by Phil Gervasi
January 9, 2026 · 42 min · Season 2 · Episode 65
About this episode
The episode discusses the severe communications crackdown in Iran amid civil unrest, featuring insights from experts on the evolving crisis.
A new wave of civil unrest in Iran has triggered one of the most severe communications crackdowns the country has seen, with disruptions extending beyond the internet to voice, SMS, and Starlink. Host Philip Gervasi is joined by Amir Rashidi (Miaan Group / Filterwatch) and Kentik’s Doug Madory to break down how the shutdown unfolded, what the data shows as connectivity collapses, and why attribution is tricky in the fog of a rapidly evolving crisis. They discuss Iran’s National Information Network (the domestic “intranet”), how shutdown tactics have grown more targeted and sophisticated over time, and what makes this event different.
People in this episode
Host: Philip Gervasi
Guests: Amir Rashidi, Doug Madory
Topics covered
- internet blackout
- civil unrest
- communications crackdown
- connectivity collapse
- shutdown tactics
- Iran's National Information Network
Keywords
- Iran
- internet blackout
- civil unrest
- communications
- connectivity
- shutdown tactics
- National Information Network
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Miaan Group, Filterwatch, Kentik
Places: Iran
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