Satellite TV signals became a hidden pipeline to circumvent Iran’s government-imposed internet shutdown, jamming efforts fail to fully block satellite-based data delivery

  • Bloefz@lemmy.worldEnglish
    14·
    2 days ago

    Hmm a satellite dish is pretty hard to hide because it needs to be fairly big, pointed at a specific known point in the sky and has to have good visibility of the sky.

    This doesn’t make it ideal for censorship avoidance because a hostile regime can arrest everyone with a dish.

    I applaud what they’re doing doing though but it’s not without risk for the receivers.

    We had this satellite tech too 20-30 years ago. People without broadband could use dialup to request large files and they’d be streamed through satellite through the night. It was too high latency to use interactively but for a receive-only solution of a curated package it’s pretty good. Just too bad the antennas are so easy to spot. Camouflaged ones exist but I don’t think they are available at Iran-friendly price points.

    • fullsquare@awful.systemsEnglish
      11·
      2 days ago

      there are ways. for example, put a fake hot water barrel on the roof, made from fiberglass or polypropylene or what have you, but not metal, and put dish inside, or in any variety of inconspicuous containers or boxes made from plastic or wood or fabric. some other antennas can be camouflaged as fake chimneys or gutters or water piping or many other things

      • AllNewTypeFace@leminal.spaceEnglish
        42·
        2 days ago

        Aircraft with millimetre-wave radar could detect them easily. And under a totalitarian regime like Iran, mere possession would be a capital crime.

        • fullsquare@awful.systemsEnglish
          2·
          2 days ago

          that mmwave radar would have to be attached to a drone, because their manned aircraft are unbelievably obsolete. it means smaller size meaning low resolution, and as starlink emits pinpointing them would be very easy when active, much easier than any passive sat dish, and starlink is still in use. i’ve seen some advice on hiding starlink that includes turning off starlink wifi and using wired connection, because irgc is looking for 2.4 ghz signal (from ground?) and not for 14-ish ghz uplink, so they probably dont have a lot of flying ew/radars

          i’m not saying that iranian air force has definitely none of that, but i would be decently surprised if they do have more than 2