Name: Starlink and the fight for internet access in Iran
Uploaded: 2026-01-15T15:07:34.803Z
Duration: 3 min 38 s
Description: Iran’s internet is going dark. As protests grow, access is being cut off. Now people are turning to Starlink. But it’s expensive, illegal in Iran and therefore under attack. Here’s what you need to know!

Iran’s internet is going dark. As protests grow, access is being cut off. Now people are turning to Starlink. But it’s expensive, illegal in Iran and therefore under attack. Here’s what you need to know!

Tehran

Iranian authorities have repeatedly shut down internet access to hinder protest coordination, prompting thousands to seek alternatives such as satellite internet, primarily Starlink. While Starlink can bypass national telecom networks, its use in Iran is illegal, expensive, and increasingly targeted by government jamming efforts, with reports indicating up to 80% of Starlink traffic disrupted.

The reliance on Starlink also raises concerns about dependence on a single private company, as alternatives like VPNs and mesh networks have limitations, especially during full shutdowns. The situation in Iran reflects a broader global trend of rising internet shutdowns, highlighting the growing use of connectivity as a tool of power and control.

Starlink and the fight for internet access in Iran

Could you live without the internet? In Iran, the web is going dark again. To hinder protesters, authorities have pulled the plug. No messages, no news, no coordination. To stay connected anyway, thousands are turning to satellites, mainly Starlink. But in Iran, it's illegal, pricey, and now under attack by government jammers. The question for all users is, who controls the internet? How can it be shut off? And how can you stay online when that happens? What are internet shutdowns? Authoritarian governments deliberately block or throttle online communication during unrest to stifle coordination and control narratives. It affects many of us. In 2024 alone, there were 296 shutdowns across 54 countries, affecting nearly 800 million people. Myanmar topped the list with 85 shutdowns, followed by India, Pakistan, and Russia. In authoritarian systems, shutdowns are relatively easy. Governments control telecom companies. They can interfere with fiber optic cables and cell towers, block specific websites, or slow down the internet so it becomes useless. In Iran, many people turn to satellite internet during past blackouts. So is that the solution? Services like Elon Musk's Starlink bypass national telecom networks. They use dishes linked to satellites. Data moves between satellites using laser links. When it reaches a ground station, it's processed and then sent back the same way. During the 2022 protests, Musk first positioned Starlink satellites over Iran. Putting satellites in place is the easy part. The real problem is the hardware on the ground. With the ongoing shutdown, Elon Musk has offered free Starlink access in Iran. But to go online, people need a Starlink dish, also known as a terminal. Starlink is officially banned in Iran. Still, thousands of terminals have been smuggled in, but it's expensive. A dish that normally costs around $250 reportedly sells for $700 to $2,000 inside Iran. For context, the average monthly income in Iran is about $250. Often, entire neighborhoods share a single Starlink connection. Iran has reportedly turned to military technology to disrupt satellite internet services. According to experts, specialized jammers have interfered with up to 80% of Starlink's traffic in the country. So how do we stay connected? Satellite internet like Starlink has supported protesters in Iran, Myanmar, and Sudan during network blackouts. But satellite internet creates a new kind of dependence. Access to the internet now depends on one private company and ultimately on Elon Musk's decisions. Other players are slowly building their own satellite networks, but for now, Starlink dominates the market. So what are the alternatives? Well, VPNs can help when the internet is only partially restricted by masking traffic and bypassing blocks, but they fail during a full shutdown. Mesh networks, on the other hand, let phones connect directly to each other via Bluetooth. People can communicate locally even without the internet, but the networks need planning and apps installed beforehand. Internet shutdowns are no longer rare, and workarounds like satellites, VPNs, or mesh networks each come with limits. The bigger question isn't just who controls access, but what happens when connectivity becomes a tool of power.

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