- SpaceX offers free Starlink internet service in Iran amid protests and blackout
- Starlink receivers are banned but over 50,000 units are smuggled into Iran
- Iranian military is jamming Starlink signals and targeting users of the service
Elon Musk's SpaceX is now offering free Starlink satellite service in Iran amid deadly protests and a days-long internet blackout.
SpaceX has waived the Starlink subscription fee in Iran, so people with receivers in the country can access service without paying, according to Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director of the US group Holistic Resilience, which works with Iranians to secure internet access. A person familiar with Starlink's operations confirmed the free service while asking not to be identified because the information isn't public.
SpaceX didn't respond to a request for comment.
Starlink's service in Iran and in other regions facing conflict underscores how the fast-growing internet service has become a tool of soft power for the world's richest person and the US government. US President Donald Trump has urged Iranians to continue their protests and earlier called on Starlink—which some Iranians already use, despite it being banned in the country—to help restore communication.
“We may speak to Elon because, as you know, he's very good at that kind of thing. He's got a very good company, so we may speak to Elon Musk,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, in response to whether Musk would be enlisted in the effort. “In fact, I'm gonna call him as soon as I'm finished with you.”
Musk has stepped into geopolitical conflicts with free Starlink service before. Starlink's satellites have provided internet communications for both Ukrainian citizens and its military since Russia's invasion. In January, Starlink announced that it was providing free broadband service to Venezuelan citizens through Feb. 3, following the US government's seizure of President Nicolás Maduro.
Unrest across Iran has sharply intensified over the past week, drawing hundreds of thousands to the streets who are calling for the downfall of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Activist groups have warned that thousands of people may have been killed in more than two weeks of violent unrest.
While Starlink receivers are prohibited in Iran, many have been smuggled across the nation's borders despite the risk, Ahmadian said, estimating in a phone interview that there are more than 50,000 units available in the country.
The Iranian military has been working to jam Starlink and is hunting down users, according to Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights at Miaan Group, a human rights advocacy organisation. The Iranian state-run IRIB News reported on Tuesday that authorities had seized “a large consignment of electronic equipment used for espionage and sabotage”, including what appeared in footage to be Starlink receivers.
Rashidi also confirmed the free access of Starlink services in Iran.
According to NetBlocks, a group that monitors online connectivity, a nationwide internet shutdown in Iran has persisted for five days, cutting off millions from online services.
