Developing Telecoms | Iran cracks down on "decadent" satellite dishes

22 May 2012

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Iran cracks down on "decadent" satellite dishes

Monday, 21 August 2006 23:08 | Alec Barton

Attention: open in a new window.

Following our report that

Cambodia

is delaying 3G because the Prime Minister's wife is upset about the possibility of immoral content being sent by 3G, we can report that the Iranian government is clamping down on that "decadent" institution called satellite television.

Satellite dishes have been illegal in Iran for many years. But this has not stopped a flourishing market for Satellite TV in the country. While dishes are less obvious than before, a quick scan of the Tehran skyline still reveals the true state of the market. Equipment is not on sale openly in Iran, of course. But dealers from Dubai and elsewhere are known to do a good trade across the Persian Gulf. Indeed, large numbers of Iranians can be found amongst visitors at Dubai's Satellite TV and Broadcasting exhibitions.

Tehran's dishy skyline... But now it appears official attitudes may be hardening. Senior police officials in the country are telling people to take their dishes down and not to use them again. Rooftop raids have already taken the matter out of 3-4 million owners' hands.

One resident, wishing to be known only as Hamid, explained: "The cops turned up down our street in northern Tehran. They've only taken down the dishes and loaded up them up in their vans. Then they just done a runner." Another Iranian, this time from Western Tehran and answering to the name 'Ali' said: "We heard about these raids so we took the dishes down. If we was caught we'd be up for over five grand in Yank money."

Looks like Iran's ruling regime is rattled by content corrupting the country's airwaves. The decoders in question allow these 3-4 million would-be degenerates to watch material from hundreds of satellite channels. Around thirty channels just happen to be funded by opponents of the Iranian government. And what's more many are based in the Great Satan that is the USA.

In future, Tehran's police will act "against people who conspicuously install their dishes." Government policy was reinforced by Iran's Interior Minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, who said that the police would act tactfully but the law is the law and it must be carried out.

Somehow I think we have heard all this before...

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