When Iran’s government threw its country into the digital dark, it seemed intent on shutting out the images and sounds that were pouring from its streets. But, above the blackout, a group of satellites has managed to keep a tenuous connection open to the world. The Starlink network, which is now reportedly available for use within Iran, has become an unlikely lifeline for those who are risking harsh punishment for access to the news from the ground.
This is because the waivering of charges for use of the service, though not publicized by the company, has been confirmed by various activists and users. The cost of accessing a terminal and subscription for many Iranians was a major obstacle. The move may increase use of a service that is already a key means of circumventing one of the largest internet blockages that Iran has ever experienced. The internet blackout started on January 8, after nationwide protests against economic deterioration and political grievances, and has deprived most Iranians, who number about 85 million, of access to the international internet.
Starlink relies on a constellation of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit, connecting users with small ground stations that have to be installed in direct sight of the sky. This makes them an easy target for law enforcers. Using a Starlink terminal is prohibited in Iran, and under new legislation, it can be considered spying, carrying sentences of up to a decade in prison. “It’s a game of cat and mouse,” activists say, where users conceal antennas under solar panels, shift them between spots, and cloak online traces using virtual private networks.
The Iranian security forces have been taking measures to counter this. Apart from seizing the hardware, the security forces have been employing electronic warfare, such as jamming and spoofing, to disrupt the connectivity. Technical analysis carried out within Iran reveals that the terminals have been detecting high signals with spoofing of the GPS signals, thus forcing them to use alternative navigation and experiencing packet losses. Although the service is not entirely disrupted, it is difficult to use Starlink internet access in some areas where there have been high levels of unrest.
However, despite the dangers, an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 terminals are thought to be operating in Iran, many of them smuggled into the country since 2022 when exemptions from US sanctions made their importation possible. This communication system has made it possible to share videos and pictures that would otherwise not leave Iran’s borders, such as footage from forensic centers and streets that reflect the magnitude of deaths. Activists claim that over 2,500 people have been killed since late December.
Globally, this decision to make Starlink free in Iran falls in line with other instances where SpaceX made it free in cases of natural disasters and conflict zones, most notably in Ukraine. The fact that this connection to the outside world comes from one private entity raises several questions. This poses what is known as “single points of failure” in communications, particularly in view of other countries seeking to disrupt and destroy satellite orbits. China, for instance, has been known to develop “counterspace” technology to jam such satellite communications as Starlink.
For now, at least, the Iranian government’s response to this threat has been outmatched by the network’s own resilience. While it has been successful at disrupting it in some of the country’s cities, it has been insufficient to keep it out of much of the country. It has been this disparity that has allowed activists, journalists, and citizens to continue to get pieces of the truth out into the world, pieces that, when put together, paint a different picture than the one that the Iranian government wants to paint.
Whether this tenuous communication channel can withstand it will depend on the resourcefulness of those who utilize it as well as the strategies of those who are trying to shut it down. Until then, every successful communication that happens through this channel is a testament to the fact that even in this era where there is such pervasive control, there are ways in which communication can happen through technology.
