The silence across Iran has become deafening. The country is enduring the world’s longest nationwide internet blackout since the Arab Spring. Since late February, the government has choked off almost all web access, leaving millions of people unable to speak to the outside world.
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While the state controls every wire and cell tower on the ground, it cannot easily stop a signal from the stars. Elon Musk’s Starlink has become a lifeline for those brave enough to use it. Even though it is illegal, an estimated 50,000 terminals have been smuggled into the country and sold on the black market.
These small, rectangular dishes talk directly to satellites in space, bypassing the government’s filters. Because the terminals cost thousands of dollars, many families share their Wi-Fi with friends and neighbors. However, the risk is extreme. Human rights activists warn that if caught, users “could face capital punishment.”
Drones Hunt for Dishes on the Rooftop
The Iranian government is using high-tech tools to hunt down these secret connections. Because a Starlink dish needs a clear view of the sky, it is often visible to anyone looking at a roof. Authorities are now using drones to patrol neighborhoods and spot the smuggled gear.
The legal consequences have also become much more severe. Following the conflict with Israel last year, the government updated its laws. Anyone caught using Starlink to send videos that “undermine national security” could face five years in prison. During wartime, “sentences can be escalated to 25 years.” The elite Revolutionary Guard is now actively searching for users and jamming signals with electronic warfare equipment.
The Elite Keep Their White-Listed Web
While the public is trapped in a digital cage, the regime has made sure its own officials stay connected. The government uses a tiered system where insiders get special white-listed SIM cards that still work during the blackout.
This allows state-run media to post on social media while the rest of the country is cut off. The government also uses its own National Information Network, a private version of the internet, to keep banks and state offices running. Despite a recent ceasefire, a government spokesperson made it clear that “the internet will remain like this under wartime conditions,” leaving the people of Iran to rely on smuggled technology just to say hello to the world.
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