Iran becomes first country to shut down Musk’s Starlink

When the internet was officially shut down in Iran, US billionaire Elon Musk sent his Starlink internet there. However, Iran has somehow disabled that Starlink internet using military jammers.

Quoting Iran Wire, US business magazine Forbes reported, "Though there are reports that thousands of Starlink units are operational inside Iran, the internet blackout has actually consumed satellite connections as well." The report also said that initially about 30 percent of Starlink's uplink and downlink traffic was disrupted. However, after a few hours, it was seen that 'more than 80 percent' of Starlink internet traffic was being disrupted.

The Times of Israel reported that “[Starlink] receivers are now much more widely used in Iran than in previous blackouts.” However, they added, “The government has never authorized Starlink, so it is illegal to operate and use the service.”

Starlink receivers use GPS to connect to satellites. “Iran has been jamming GPS signals since the 12-day war with Israel last June,” the Times of Israel reported. As a result, the shutdowns are taking effect in different places and have created a kind of “patchwork quilt” situation in Starlink connections—with some key areas experiencing almost complete blackouts.

“I have been monitoring and researching internet access for the past 20 years, and I have never seen anything like this in my life,” Amir Rashidi of the Mian Group told TechRadar.

Technologists monitoring the situation of Starlink data packets also say that Iran’s Starlink internet service is being disrupted due to the severe damage to the satellite connection.

Simon Migliano, who has prepared an extensive report on the recent internet shutdown, told Forbes, “The cost of this kill switch system is staggering—$1.56 million is being drained from the Iranian economy every hour the internet is down.”