Clandestine Starlink network smuggles internet access into Iran during blackout
A clandestine network is smuggling Starlink satellite internet equipment into Iran as the country endures a national internet blackout that has lasted for more than two months.
The operation is being carried out by Iranians outside the country, according to a man identified as Sahand, whose name has been changed.
He said the terminals and routers are bought abroad and moved through borders in a "very complex operation".
Sahand said he has sent a dozen devices into Iran since January and that the network is looking for more ways to move equipment in.
He said the aim is to help at least one more person get online, despite the risks.
The blackout began after US and Israeli airstrikes on 28 February.
Before that, internet access had been partially restored for about a month after an earlier shutdown in January during a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests.
The disruption matters because Iran has one of the longest-running national internet shutdowns recorded worldwide, leaving many people cut off from normal communications.
Starlink terminals are described as one of the most reliable ways of bypassing the restrictions.
The devices connect to satellites owned by SpaceX and can allow several people to use one terminal at the same time, according to Sahand.
He said the equipment is illegal in Iran and that he fears reprisals against people he is in contact with inside the country if he is identified.
The supporting material says officials have described the shutdown as a security measure during the war, aimed at preventing surveillance, espionage and cyber-attacks.
