The vpnMentor research team has found that demand for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in Bangladesh surged by 5016% amidst a five-day internet shutdown. The spike began on July 22 and peaked on July 25, three days into the shutdown. VPNs help people bypass firewalls by masking their IP addresses and routing internet connections through servers in other countries.
This allows access to restricted websites. The research team noted that similar spikes in VPN usage have occurred in the past during internet suspensions or restrictions on specific apps and websites. For instance, earlier in March this year, VPN demand in Spain rose by 330% a day before an opposition protest in Madrid.
Two weeks later, VPN demand grew by 150% again after Telegram was temporarily banned in the country. The surge in VPN usage underscores the lengths to which individuals will go to maintain access to information and communication channels during periods of government-imposed internet restrictions. The demand for VPNs notably fell once internet services were restored on July 25.
However, it still showed an increase by 2500% until July 29, 2024. As citizens strive to circumvent government-imposed internet restrictions, the aim of limiting access to social media platforms and news websites in this scenario is usually to restrict communication among protesters. It also prevents the dissemination of information that could incite further unrest.
However, such restrictions have inadvertently fueled a surge in VPN usage as citizens seek alternative means to access blocked content and communicate securely.
vpn demand surges amid internet shutdown
Internet shutdowns and disruptions increasingly occur due to geopolitical unrest and ongoing wars around the world.
This leaves many people struggling to stay connected with friends, family, and the outside world. People of all ages have become so reliant on the internet that the absence of connectivity forces them to find viable alternatives to maintain communication. During these outages, individuals turn to various apps and tools to cope with restrictions and slowdowns.
Several free, paid, and “freemium” VPNs are available, including popular options like ProtonVPN, Windscribe, TunnelBear, and SurfShark VPN. Some users have also turned to the Tor browser, which routes internet traffic through multiple servers to hide one’s identity and access blocked sites. However, connectivity issues have been reported with Tor in Bangladesh.
In addition to VPNs and Tor, some users in restricted regions rely on proxy servers, which act as intermediaries to access blocked content. For social media, DNS resolvers like Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 are sometimes used, although their effectiveness varies based on the severity of restrictions. When platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp are blocked, users often switch to alternative apps such as Telegram and Signal.
These apps offer secure messaging and perform well even on slower internet connections. Despite the resumption of internet services, challenges remain, particularly in maintaining consistent communication with people overseas. Phone call quality for international connections is still subpar, and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Messenger face limitations under these conditions.
As the landscape of internet connectivity evolves amid ongoing geopolitical tensions, people continue to find and adapt to new methods of staying connected in the digital age.
