(Photo by ANONYMOUS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
As Iranians turn to Starlink for internet access, the country’s government has reportedly started jamming signals to the satellite internet system in efforts to stop people from communicating amid widespread protests.
Amir Rashidi, a cybersecurity and policy expert for an Iranian digital rights group, reported the Starlink jamming, citing anecdotal reports from his friends in the country. Normally, Starlink can easily bypass censorship attempts since the technology uses orbiting satellites to connect. But lately, Rashidi’s friends have encountered frequent packet loss, which disrupts the data from transmitting to their Starlink dishes.
“Some of them are telling me they are seeing 30% packet loss. Some of them they're telling me they're seeing 80% packet loss on a Starlink,” Rashidi told network infrastructure intelligence provider Kentik.
The disruptions stand out because Starlink has been available in Iran since 2022 after the US government allowed SpaceX to offer the satellite internet service in the country. As many as 30,000 to over 50,000 Starlink dishes could have since been smuggled into the country, in defiance of Iranian law, which has banned the technology.
The satellite internet access has helped Iranian protestors organize and upload images and videos to social media. But it now appears Iran has successfully disrupted at least some Starlink access, likely by interfering with radio signals. That’s raising speculation that the country purchased military jamming equipment from Russia, which has also found ways to disrupt Starlink signals in Ukraine.
“So obviously there is some sort of strong jamming,” Rashidi told Kentik. “I don't think this is the normal jamming. It's very much reminds me what happened in Ukraine. It looks like this is [electronic] warfare. This is not a normal kind of blockage.”
Still, others say the jamming has diminished. A group dedicated to promoting Starlink access in Iran claims that "the interference and Packet Loss status in Tehran has significantly improved, reducing from about 35% to nearly 10%."
"The interference issue is an ongoing game of cat and mouse; therefore, conditions may change again or even worsen. Nevertheless, we will not stop our efforts," the group NasNet tweeted. NasNet even claims to have worked with SpaceX on overcoming the jamming issues. SpaceX didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The satellite industry analyst Carlos Placido also points out it isn't easy to completely disrupt Starlink given its sheer scale. Depending on where you are in Iran, between 15 to as many as 60 satellites can be positioned over a user at any given time. "It’s hard to fully jam a system with so many possible connectivity paths," he told PCMag.
"Starlink currently offers tens of satellites in view in most regions, providing multiple alternative links if one is disrupted," he added in a LinkedIn post.
(Carlos Placido)Meanwhile, Iranian activist Mehdi Yahyanejad warned that Iranian authorities are trying to perpetrate the idea that Starlink no longer functions within the country.
"I want to reiterate that the Starlink terminals are working despite the jamming by the Iranian government," he tweeted. "The Iranian government network abroad has tried to spread the false narrative that Starlink is not working to discredit the authenticity of the massacre videos from Iran and discourage efforts to deliver more Starlink terminals to Iran."
The signal jamming occurs after Iran imposed an internet blackout last week that brought web traffic down to zero. The country has resorted to the drastic measures, along with violent military crackdowns, to stop widespread anti-government protests.
In response, President Trump says he's considering asking SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to help restore internet access in Iran. Although the satellite internet system requires using a hardware dish for access, SpaceX has also developed a cellular Starlink service, which can beam connectivity to certain phones, although the data speeds are far slower.
The signal jamming, along with the Iranian government’s military crackdown, might prove to be a hurdle to any expansion of Starlink. Apparent user messages from Iran have said the military has been trying to confiscate Starlink dishes. It also isn’t the first time Iranian users have reported Starlink access problems in the country. But there are signs that signal jamming is confined to the capital of Tehran, rather than the whole country.