Starlink hardware is designed to assist local residents in bypassing Iran’s internetcensorship. This is meant to stop antigovernment protests from Iran.
In an effort to bypass Iran’s ongoing internet crackdown, equipment for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite Internet system is being smuggled into Iran.
Social media has been sharing photos and videos of Starlink equipment from Iran, which can receive uncensored broadband via orbiting satellites.
Karim Sadjadpour (Opens in new window), an Iranian expert at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace tweeted out one such video. It shows an anonymous activist group planning to smuggle Starlink dishes into the country. He claims that the unnamed activist group “already sent many” dishes to Iran and is planning to increase its efforts.
He said that although these efforts are still in their infancy, they have evidence that the terminals work and claimed they are taking extra precautions to reduce the risk to users. Starlink terminals used in the country have been captured in videos.”
Firouz Naderi (an Iranian-American) is a former NASA director. He has been tweeting about Starlink dishes being sent to Iran by anonymous groups. According to him, around 30 dishes arrived in the country in the last week. They were all purchased through Starlink RV Tier, which allows for ordering without waiting lists and can be used in multiple locations.
Starlink equipment must be smuggled into Iran as the Iranian government will likely confiscate any units it finds. Starlink hardware can be used to bypass Iran’s online censorship and receive unfiltered high-speed broadband via SpaceX’s satellite network.
Starlink dishes can only provide uncensored internet access to a group of nearby users via its Wi-Fi router. To serve large portions of Iran’s population, a huge number of dishes is required.
Sadjadpour said (Opens in new window): “Many people-including prominent Iranian American tech entrepreneurs-have been involved on this issue. One of them told me that they want to scale up to several thousand terminals within the next six-months.
CNN reports (Opens in new window) that the White House has been in discussions with SpaceX regarding bringing Starlink Iran. This is less than a month since SpaceX activated its satellite internet service in Middle East. CNN was told by a senior administration official that they are looking for ways to make sure Iranians have internet access on their phones as well as everywhere else. Starlink is an option, but not the only one.
