Iranian protests [AP Yonhap News]

Iranian authorities have disabled 40,000 Starlink satellite internet terminals, the state broadcaster reported on January 20 (local time), according to dpa news agency.

However, dpa noted that it is unclear whether the authorities confiscated the terminals from Starlink users or if the terminals were deactivated.

This suggests that while Iran's Vice President for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy, Hossein Afshin, mentioned the previous day that "internet access will gradually normalize within this week," external connectivity remains restricted.

The Iranian authorities may intend to permit internet access only within a very limited scope for future regime stability and to prevent communication with the outside world.

Recently, Filterwatch, an Iranian internet censorship monitoring group, released a report stating that the Iranian government is pursuing a plan to permanently restrict international internet access to only a select few individuals pre-approved by the government.

According to this plan, only a small number of individuals who pass government pre-authentication procedures, such as security verification, will be able to use the filtered global internet. The rest of Iranians will only be able to access a domestic national internet network that is completely disconnected from the global internet.

In Iran, it is estimated that up to 20 million people, a quarter of the population, rely on services like ride-hailing through 'Snap' and delivery apps for their livelihood. Continued internet shutdowns could further exacerbate economic hardship.

When protests against economic hardship, which began on November 28, intensified with anti-government slogans, Iranian authorities imposed a complete shutdown of internet and communications on December 8 and brutally suppressed the protests. However, the atrocities of the protests were conveyed externally through a small number of Starlink subscribers within Iran.

The previous day, hackers hijacked the satellite signal of the Iranian state broadcaster and broadcast a video of Reza Pahlavi, the last crown prince of the former Pahlavi monarchy, appealing to the Iranian military not to point their guns at the people. This incident also became known externally through posts on social media by Iranians using Starlink.

Starlink is a satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. It has served as a last resort for communication in conflict zones cut off from the outside world, such as the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza.

To use Starlink, a terminal with antenna functionality for connecting to satellite communication is required.

Iran prohibits Starlink and cracks down on its use, but it is estimated that there are 40,000 to 50,000 subscribers in Iran, most of whom appear to have smuggled in the terminals.

It has been reported that during the "12-day war" in June last year, when Iran and Israel exchanged airstrikes, it was possible to access uncensored internet in Iran through Starlink.