Earthlink Telecommunications (Iraq)

Iraq's Ministry of Communications ordered federally-licensed ISPs to cut internet access every exam morning to prevent cheating, across two rounds (June 13-July 4 and August 26-September 12, 2026). Network measurement by GeoCables and ISOC Pulse showed Earthlink (AS199739) and Noor Al-Bedaya dropped to zero connectivity on all 16 monitored exam mornings, each lasting 50-90 minutes at the same hour, cutting 66-71% of national connectivity. Kurdistan Region providers were unaffected because the semi-autonomous region runs its own exam calendar outside Baghdad's jurisdiction, not because they declined to comply.