Iran Jams Starlink as Protests Rage, Service Fights to Stay Online
▼ Summary
– President Trump contacted Elon Musk to improve Starlink’s reliability in Iran, aiming to counter the government’s Internet shutdown during protests.
– The Iranian government severed Internet and phone lines as part of a violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrators, reportedly killing thousands.
– Starlink service in Iran faces significant jamming, causing high packet loss, though SpaceX has worked on updates to mitigate the interference.
– Starlink is illegal in Iran, and authorities are confiscating user dishes, but the service has U.S. support, including a past Biden administration license.
– Trump confirmed he spoke with Musk about the issue, expressing a desire to restore Internet access for Iranians.
Efforts to maintain satellite internet connectivity in Iran face significant challenges as authorities employ sophisticated jamming techniques. Reports indicate that during recent unrest, the government severed internet and phone lines, leading to a violent crackdown on demonstrators. In response, SpaceX’s Starlink service has become a critical, though contested, tool for communication, operating without official authorization from Iranian officials.
The service has not been fully disabled, but government interference has caused substantial disruption. Technical data shows Starlink experiencing packet loss rates fluctuating dramatically, sometimes reaching as high as eighty percent. This indicates a concerted effort to block the signals. In a notable development, a group assisting Iranians with access collaborated directly with Starlink’s technical team. Their joint work on a software update successfully reduced packet loss to approximately ten percent, demonstrating a proactive technical countermeasure.
However, the situation remains highly volatile. Groups on the ground describe the availability of Starlink as a relentless back-and-forth struggle, where conditions can deteriorate without warning. This digital tug-of-war underscores the technical complexity of sustaining the service under active suppression.
Political interest in the service’s functionality has reached high levels. A former U.S. president publicly expressed a desire to see Starlink become more reliably available, noting an intention to contact SpaceX’s leader due to his expertise. Follow-up statements from officials confirmed that a conversation on the topic of Iranian internet service had indeed taken place.
The use of Starlink in Iran exists in a legal gray area, explicitly prohibited by national authorities but supported under a U.S. general license issued during earlier protests. This license permits American companies to provide internet services to Iranian citizens. Consequently, while Iranian security forces have reportedly begun searching for and confiscating user terminals in certain areas, the service continues to operate based on this external policy framework. The ongoing conflict highlights the intersection of technology, geopolitics, and civil unrest, where a satellite internet constellation becomes both a lifeline and a point of international contention.
(Source: Ars Technica)
