Starlink receivers smuggled into Iran to provide free internet

Iranian authorities claim satellite dishes ‘deviate morality and culture’

A Starlink terminal purportedly installed on a rooftop in Iran on 21 October, 2022 (Babak Bardiya/ screengrab)

Activists claim to have smuggled dozens of Starlink receivers into Iran in order to bypass strict internet censorship and blackouts in the country.

SpaceX’s Starlink internet network relies on a constellation of thousands of satellites to beam unfiltered, high-speed internet back to Earth, however it requires a ground-based receiver in order to share the signal to users.

Countries with strict internet censorship are able to forbid the sale of Starlink terminals in order to maintain control over telecommunications within their borders, while Iran also faces strict economic sanctions that prevent SpaceX from selling their products their.