President Hassan Rohani says he welcomes people’s use of social networking sites and he urged the ministry of communications to increase internet speed and bandwidth for better public access.

Rohani said the days of despotism and one-way message delivery through loudspeakers and tribunes are over.

Speaking at a Communications and Information Technology Festival, Rohani dismissed concerns about young people venturing into cyber space, saying the internet should be seen as an opportunity to present “the Iranian and Islamic identity.”

Rohani has already told the ministry of communications that he is not satisfied with the broadband width available to the public and that he wants to see immediate improvement in the internet speeds offered to residential and commercial customers as well as mobile users.

Rohani has repeatedly spoken out against internet censorship; however, the supervisory body that oversees internet censorship is comprised of several representatives from various government bodies that remain resistant to opening up cyberspace to unlimited access.

Radio Zamaneh