Despite US sanctions and a government crackdown, SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet terminals are being smuggled into Iran, offering citizens a clandestine route to unfiltered online access. The devices, which provide high-speed broadband via a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites, are being carried across borders in backpacks and hidden in vehicle compartments.
Activists and smugglers coordinate through encrypted messaging apps, with prices ranging from $800 to $1,500 per unit—a significant sum in a country where the average monthly income is around $300. Once inside, users face the risk of arrest if caught, as Iranian authorities view the terminals as a threat to national security.
"It is like carrying a bomb," said one smuggler, describing the danger of transporting the prohibited technology.
Starlink terminals require a clear view of the sky and a subscription activated outside Iran. Smugglers often purchase subscriptions in Turkey or the UAE, then pre-configure the devices for immediate use upon arrival. The service has become a lifeline for dissidents, journalists, and ordinary Iranians seeking to bypass the state's iron-fisted control of the internet, which intensified after nationwide protests in 2022.