Iran's internet shutdown, which began in late February, is inflicting tens of millions of dollars in daily losses on the country’s economy, according to the head of the Knowledge-Based Economy Commission at Iran’s Chamber of Commerce.
Afshin Kolahi estimated the direct cost of internet outages at between $30 million and $40 million per day.
Including indirect losses, he said, the total impact rises to roughly $70 million to $80 million daily.
He compared the scale of the losses to major infrastructure projects, noting that building a bridge such as the B1 bridge which was hit in an airstrike during the war costs around $15 million to $20 million.
The cost of constructing each megawatt of power plant capacity, he added, ranges from $1 million to $3 million.
Based on these comparisons, Kolahi said the economic impact of internet shutdowns is effectively equivalent to losing multiple infrastructure projects every day.
“In practice, internet shutdowns mean losing the equivalent of four B1 bridges and two medium-sized power plants every day,” he said.
