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Free internet in Iran? Systematically stifled
What once seemed almost unthinkable is now reality: the Iranian regime is apparently managing to massively disrupt even Starlink's satellite internet. And it is doing so deliberately – no longer with simple GPS jammers, but with much more sophisticated methods. In some regions, up to 80% of connections are said to have collapsed. For many Iranians, Starlink is one of the last ways to obtain information freely or communicate with the outside world – but now even this gateway seems to be closing.
More than GPS jamming: New technology in use
The fact that Iran jams GPS signals is nothing new – this already happened in the summer of 2025 during military tensions with Israel and the US. At that time, GPS jamming mainly affected autonomous weapons. Now it is affecting the population. Iranian activist Mehdi Yahyanejad, who has been analyzing the digital situation in Iran for years, reports drastic drops in data traffic via Starlink. In some areas, up to 80% of connections have now failed.
The suspicion: GPS interference alone cannot explain this. Apparently, the regime is now using targeted new jamming techniques that are even more effective—and much more difficult to detect or block.
"Kalinka": Russian help with digital gagging?
A hot candidate for the new jamming technology is a system with the innocuous-sounding name "Kalinka." It comes from Russia and is said to be capable of jamming individual Starlink terminals—without the need for large antennas or conspicuous technology. The range? About 15 kilometers. Even though there is no official confirmation, the pieces of the puzzle fit together: Russia works closely with Iran, for example on drone projects. So it is quite possible that expertise in digital suppression has also been exported.
In Ukraine, special shielding is already being used against such jamming systems to make it more difficult for the jamming signals to penetrate. It is not yet known whether similar countermeasures are also being used in Iran.
Digital regression at the touch of a button
For many in Iran, Starlink was a ray of hope—a way to bypass state censorship and access the open internet. Now it is becoming clear that even this access can be severely restricted by the regime. Although tens of thousands of receivers in the country make it difficult to disrupt coverage nationwide, targeted shutdowns in critical regions are enough to regain control over the flow of information.
What does this mean for the future? That remains to be seen. One thing is clear, however: those who deliberately shut down the internet are not afraid of technology—they are afraid of the truth.
Comment: When satellite internet no longer helps, things get dangerous
It is a warning signal for the whole world: if even a system like Starlink, which is considered particularly resilient, can be deliberately disrupted, no one is safe from digital censorship anymore. The idea that authoritarian states can wipe out free communication with a few mobile devices is more than disturbing. And if Russia is really helping here, it shows once again how far the strategic partnership between autocracies extends. People living in such countries today need more than just internet access—they need courage. And the world should finally stop pretending that this is all just a local problem.
Source: winfuture.de
