Iran's black market for Starlink terminals has rapidly repriced, with reported street quotes of $4,000 per terminal, up from $700 to $1,000 last summer, as war risks surge and renewed fears grow over stricter internet censorship and another blackout.
Bloomberg spoke with Starlink terminal sellers and human rights groups that said satellite internet via Starlink terminals is one of the only ways to stay connected to the rest of the world, as the Iranian government has cut access or forced traffic onto a highly monitored national intranet amid social uprisings.
Now the terminals cost upwards of $4,000 per unit as war risks rise, and President Donald Trump has set a deadline for Iran to reach a "meaningful deal" on its nuclear program or face conflict with the US.
Last month, the Iranian government implemented a two-week full-scale internet blackout to quell unrest, and connectivity to the outside world remains heavily throttled. There are about 50,000 terminals in the country, according to digital rights group Holistic Resilience.
A Starlink seller on Telegram told the media outlet that units were extremely expensive in Iran, despite retailing in many parts of the world for a fraction of the price. In the US, Starlink terminals retail for several hundred dollars.
SpaceX waived Starlink subscription fees across Iran, and millions of Iranians have used U.S.-funded VPNs.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the Trump administration covertly sent 6,000 Starlink terminals into Iran.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 US smuggled 6000 Starlink terminals into Iran last month in an effort to keep protesters online after Iran cut internet access – WSJ pic.twitter.com/8cRoa8oCEc
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) February 12, 2026
Anyone using or distributing a Starlink terminal in Iran risks a lengthy prison sentence.
