Explaining the Change in Iran's Cyberspace Policies based on the Advocacy Coalition Framework (Case Study: Fixed Internet Bandwidth Policy Determination)

The purpose of this study is to understand how the official policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of fixed internet bandwidth has changed from limited to free development. Along with this goal, creating a policy insight in cyberspace policy field, learning lessons for policy makers and decision makers from this policy process and creating recognition about existing coalitions in the field of cyberspace is also pursued. Policy process theories seek to explain how policies are formed and changed. This study seeks to explain the process of policy change in the fixed Internet bandwidth subsystem by applying the Advocacy Coalition framework (ACF) and the role of different coalitions in this change. Broadband policies, as one of the most important policies in the field of technical-infrastructure of cyberspace, have undergone a serious change since two decades ago. To this end, the following questions must be answered: 1.What coalitions have been formed by the actors for changing fixed internet bandwith policy subsystem? 2. What beliefs have existed among the actors of this policy subsystem? 3. What conditions and events have been effective in changing the Iran's fixed internet bandwith policy?

This study was conducted using a case study strategy and focusing on existing documents on bandwidth policies in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Documentary study method was used to review the documents and focus group mechanism was used to validate the findings. For this purpose, 15 important documents in this field have been analyzed and 8 macro and sub-trends have been extracted using the logic of qualitative methods.

The findings indicate that in the competition between the two coalitions of limited development and free development bandwidth, the most important factors in changing policies are: changing the country's governance system and the increasing development of technologies and, consequently, social pressure to shape this development. According to the history, review of documents, decisions, and obvious positions of different actors, we can generally identify two competing coalitions in the field of internet bandwidth in the Islamic Republic of Iran: 1. Limited Development Coalition, which accept network and bandwidth development only in the form of a national information network and considers development to be dependent on the production of appropriate and local content. In fact, the policy that they pursue is limited bandwidth development and is quoted in the rules and regulations. 2. The Free Bandwidth Development Coalition which considers bandwidth in general and without any serious distinction between being domestic or international, and According to its ideological foundations, unlike the previous coalition, it does not show any resistance against being influenced by foreign culture and the blurring of national borders in cyberspace. They consider this development to be an unconditional right of the citizens.

Learning from this process that took place in two decades and considering the current situation in Iran and the world is: 1-the change in some secondary beliefs and 2-the formation of a third coalition that pursues technology-oriented governance. Given the importance of platforms in today's world, the axis and index of development or non-development of bandwidth in the country should be focus on platforms and maintaining the power of governance to regulate and rule through them, not the restriction or lack of growth in quality and access.