Iran's Internet Blackout: Starlink Becomes Lifeline Amid Crackdown

Iran's Unprecedented Digital Blackout Enters Sixth Day

For six consecutive days, Iran's 90 million citizens have been cut off from the outside world in what experts are calling the most severe internet and telecommunications blackout in the country's history. The Iranian regime has shut down nearly all internet access and phone communications in an attempt to suppress ongoing nationwide protests that began in late December 2025 over economic collapse and political repression.

Starlink: The Last Connection to the World

Amid this digital darkness, only one technology is providing a fragile lifeline: Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite internet service. Despite being illegal in Iran since 2025, with possession of Starlink terminals carrying prison sentences of up to ten years, the service has become essential for activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens trying to share information about the government's brutal crackdown.

'Starlink is for Iranians one of the few ways to still make some contact with the outside world during the biggest blackout ever in the country,' says Amir Rashidi, an Iranian digital rights and security expert with the US-based Miaan Group human rights organization.

Smuggled Terminals and Black Markets

The Starlink terminals currently in Iran have all been smuggled into the country, primarily through Kurdish regions in the north and via Dubai. 'It has become a huge black market,' Rashidi explains. Estimates suggest between 50,000 to 100,000 terminals are operational in Iran, though exact numbers are impossible to verify given the information vacuum.

The regime has intensified efforts to locate and disrupt these connections, reportedly using military-grade jamming equipment typically reserved for wartime operations. According to internet watchdog NetBlocks, Iranian authorities are attempting to jam satellite connections in what represents a new escalation in censorship capabilities.

Technological Battle and Political Pressure

SpaceX is engaged in a technological battle to maintain service, with reports indicating Starlink packet loss ranging from 30-80% due to jamming. However, the company has collaborated with activist groups to reduce losses to about 10%. The service's resilience comes from its constellation of over 9,400 satellites in low Earth orbit, making it harder to jam than traditional single-satellite systems.

Starlink has also become a political tool. US President Trump has reportedly spoken with Elon Musk about improving service reliability in Iran, building on a 2022 Biden administration license allowing US companies to provide internet services during government crackdowns. 'The big tech companies have all the tools to help,' Rashidi notes, emphasizing that political will from the White House is crucial.

Human Rights Crisis Unfolding in Darkness

Human rights organizations warn the blackout is hiding grave violations. Amnesty International reports at least 28 protesters and bystanders, including children, have been killed between December 31, 2025 and January 3, 2026, with estimates from other groups suggesting the death toll may approach 600.

The economic impact is devastating, with previous shutdowns costing businesses up to 5 billion Rial daily. The current blackout has even disabled Iran's National Information Network, a domestic intranet system designed to function while disconnected from the global internet, indicating authorities believe 'their survival is at stake.'

As the digital siege continues, Starlink remains a critical, though limited, channel for information to escape Iran's information blackout, serving as both a technological lifeline and a symbol of the ongoing struggle for digital freedom in authoritarian states.