Ellie Geranmayeh
Tehran has used a communications blackout to suppress nationwide protests and control information flows. French and UK governments can use their own satellite terminals to provide Iranians with independent internet access
Iranians in the dark
This month anti-regime protests swept across Iran and the brutal government response has left over 4,500 dead and counting. As part of this crackdown, on January 8th Iranian authorities placed the country under a communication blackout. They also disabled the operations of external provider, Starlink, by deploying military jammers (potentially with Russian technology support) to shutdown access to the free satellite internet service. By shutting Iranians off from the outside world, the Islamic Republic has shielded itself from international scrutiny and enabled human rights abuses to take place in the dark.
What Europeans can do
There are, rightfully, growing calls for European governments to respond with measures that tangibly support Iranians on the ground. One concrete step involves expanding the ability of Iranians to communicate with each other and the world, and to reduce the ability of authorities to cut off their access in the future.
Improved communication enables the documentation of human rights abuses, and this transparency will be key to holding Iranian authorities accountable. Sustained access to the international community also allows Iranian civil society inside the country to better articulate their political priorities.
A practical option is Eutelstat satellite terminals, which are majority owned by the French state, with the UK also an important shareholder. This is the only operational low-orbit constellation besides Elon Musk’s Starlink that can be used to beam internet services from space to Iran. France is already looking at sending a fleet to the country. French and UK authorities should now swiftly approve the deployment and pool European funding to support the initiative.
Eutelstat terminals can provide Iranians with an opportunity to access valuable tools, even when jamming occurs as applications like Bitchat, for example, use Bluetooth technology for offline messaging. Similar solutions were used during Hong Kong’s protests in 2020 and in Myanmar in 2021. As a result, just enough temporary connection to download the application can give citizens valuable means to reorganise. Having such an alternative to Starlink also provides a backup if an unpredictable Musk disconnects Iranians from its services, as he has chosen to do in China where he has business interests.
For this initiative to be effective, French and UK governments need to ensure that the Eutelsat terminals—which are clunkier and therefore more detectable than Starlink—enter Iran without jeopardising the safety of citizens. (Iranian authorities view Starlink’s operations, for example, as a national security threat punishable by imprisonment). Eutelsat also has a significantly smaller fleet which makes jamming them easier. Some Starlink users in Iran have been able to bypass the jamming due to a software update, which is an option that Eutelsat must actively advance.
Blackout politics
The blackout has inflicted a major toll on the economy, and Iranian officials are sporadically returning connections with broader access expected in coming days. However, there is increasing concern that moving forward, Iran will adopt a China-model intranet, including the creation of a “whitelist” of websites that can be accessed from inside Iran.
Internet shutdowns are increasingly used by countries to disrupt communications under the justification of national security. According to the Internet Society, Iran ranks 7th in the world in terms of internet shutdown length since 2018 (with India ranking 1st). This trend requires a global response that will ensure the basic right to internet access and push for accountability when it comes to blackouts.
https://ecfr.eu/article/how-europe-can-help-iranians-break-the-internet-shutdown/