When a nation cuts its internet, 90 million people vanish from the digital world overnight. That's what happened when Iran shut down connectivity across all 31 provinces during recent unrest—residents couldn't call each other, couldn't access information, couldn't connect to anything outside their physical borders.

But here's where it gets interesting: Low-Earth-orbit satellite networks like Starlink managed to push through the blackout. Unlike traditional infrastructure that governments can flip off with a switch, satellite internet operates from above, bypassing terrestrial chokepoints entirely.

This isn't just about emergency communications during political turmoil. For the Web3 and blockchain community, the incident spotlights a critical gap in global infrastructure. Decentralized networks need reliable, censorship-resistant connectivity to function. When traditional internet can be weaponized as a tool of control, alternative infrastructure becomes essential—not a luxury.

The event raised uncomfortable questions: Should digital access be a right? Can technology alone bypass state control? What happens when innovation outpaces governance? These tensions will only intensify as more of the world realizes the internet isn't invulnerable—it's only as free as the infrastructure supporting it.