When Iran went dark last week, it went almost completely silent. Internet and cellular networks were shut down by the authorities. Online banking froze, shopping apps stopped working and even basic text messaging collapsed. As protests spread across the country, information from inside Iran became scarce, fragmented and dangerous to obtain.
But the censorship was not absolute.
A loose, largely invisible network of activists, developers and engineers managed to punch holes through the state-imposed digital wall using thousands of Starlink satellite internet terminals that had been quietly smuggled into Iran. Through these satellite links, images and videos of security forces firing into streets and families searching for missing relatives reached the outside world.
Heavy crackdown on communications
Since January 8, the Iranian government has enforced what monitoring groups describe as a near-total communications blackout. According to NetBlocks, internet traffic in Iran fell by as much as 99% after the shutdown was imposed. Iran’s use of internet shutdowns is not new. Authorities deployed similar measures during unrest in 2019 and again in 2022.
What made this blackout different was its scale and severity. Unlike earlier disruptions, which were often regional or partial, the January 8 shutdown cut off almost all international connectivity across a nation of roughly 90 million people.
Virtual private networks, long used by Iranians to bypass censorship and access platforms like Instagram and YouTube, largely failed.
This is where Starlink entered the picture.
How ‘secret’ Starlink networks leaked Iranian protest
Operated by SpaceX, the satellite internet service Starlink gets connectivity directly from space to ground terminals, bypassing Iran’s land-based telecommunications infra. Because it does not rely on domestic cables or cell towers, it is far harder for authorities to block using traditional censorship tools.
Starlink has previously played a role in conflict zones but its impact in Iran has been unusually significant. Speaking to New York Times, an exiled Iranian activist involved in smuggling the Starlink terminals, Ahmad Ahmadian said, “This is the most severe internet shutdown that we have experienced. Starlink is a lifeline.”
Activists began preparing for such a scenario after Iran’s violent protests in 2022, when communications were also cut. Civil society groups devised plans to move satellite terminals across borders from neighbouring countries. According to The Times, an estimated 50,000 Starlink terminals are believed to be operating inside Iran. Many are hidden on rooftops or in discreet locations.
Developers have also built software tools that allow a single Starlink connection to be shared across neighbourhoods. This has helped in effectively turning one terminal into a digital hub for dozens of users.
Role of US in bypassing Iran’s internet restrictions
The United States has played a behind-the-scenes role. The United States Department of State coordinated with SpaceX to ensure that Starlink terminals and digital communication tools were exempted from sanctions on Iran.
According to a Biden administration official cited by the New York Times, Washington also advised civil society groups on how to conceal the equipment from detection.
Despite Starlink’s impact, access remains limited. Most Iranians are still offline and information about protests that have reportedly killed an estimated 3,000 people remains incomplete. Domestic services have partially resumed but with restrictions.
What Indians returning from Iran described
Accounts from Indian nationals who returned from Iran offered a ground-level view of how the communications blackout and street unrest unfolded in real time.
At Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport in the early hours of Saturday, several returnees spoke of fires lighting up streets at night, sudden protests and a complete collapse of communication. Shabbir Hussain, from Jammu and Kashmir, said protests were visible in cities such as Tehran, Mashhad and Qom but largely after dark. “If you can’t contact your family, everyone gets worried. Anxiety spreads very fast back home,” he told Indian Express.
According to him, Tehran’s mood shifted by the hour, tense at night and relatively calm during the day. He added that communication returned gradually, with international calling resuming after several days.
Hyderabad’s Mohammad Dilshad had been in Iran for official work when connectivity began shutting down in phases. He recalled protesters suddenly surrounding cars and shouting, creating panic. “Nothing happened physically but my parents were crying back home. We couldn’t even send a normal message,” he said. With no internet access, flights were cancelled and even the Indian embassy’s phone lines were unreachable for days.
For families waiting in India, the uncertainty was agonising. Mohammad Jawad from Bijnor, awaiting his aunt’s return from a pilgrimage, said they were told protests mostly erupted at night and were advised not to panic.