Iran’s Revolution: Year 2
New York Times
15-Jun-2010 (one comment)

More specifically, the opposition needs access to satellite-fed Internet connections across the country. Unlike landline connections, satellite-dish communications are difficult for the government to shut down. Just monitoring them would be a technical nightmare for the regime. The opposition needs more access to the wide array of satellites that are accessible from Iran — including Arabsat, which was founded by the Arab League in 1976, and France’s Eutelsat.

THE democracy movement also needs a large supply of digital-video broadcasting cards, which function much like prepaid telephone cards and allow downloading and uploading of digital content from satellites. The Green Movement’s technology experts have done back-of-the-envelope calculations: just $50 million per year could open the entire country to the Internet. Millions less would still allow the diverse range of pro-democracy groups to communicate with each other and more effectively counter the regime’s security forces. Compared to what the United States peacefully did to help anti-Communists during the cold w... >>>

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Shifteh Ansari

Thanks Fred

by Shifteh Ansari on

Though I am normally cautious with any advice for democracy which is dispensed by an ex CIA agent, I found this a good read.  The idea about internet access through satellite communication is a very interesting one and I have followed it through the past year, particularly, as it has been suggested by others as a relatively inexpensive and easy thing to do.  I believe internet can help Iranians to organize themselves a lot better and to make life even more difficult for the Islamic Republic.  I think providing alternative internet technology to Iranians is a really important and effective step.  Thanks again.