SpaceX makes Starlink free for Iran
Photo: Elon Musk (Getty Images)
Elon Musk's company SpaceX is now offering free access to Starlink in Iran amid deadly protests and days-long power outages, Bloomberg reports.
According to Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director of the American organization Holistic Resilience, which works with Iranians to provide secure internet access, SpaceX has waived subscription fees for Starlink in Iran. This means that terminal owners can use the service for free.
A source familiar with Starlink's activities also confirmed that the service is free.
Although Starlink terminals are banned in Iran, many of them have been smuggled across the country's border despite the risk. In a telephone interview with Bloomberg, Ahmadian estimated that there are more than 50,000 such devices in Iran.
According to Amir Rashidi, director of digital rights at the human rights organization Miaan Group, the Iranian military is working to suppress the Starlink signal and track users.
In particular, on Tuesday, the Iranian state television channel IRIB News reported that the authorities had seized a so-called large batch of electronic equipment used for espionage and sabotage, including devices that look like Starlink terminals in the video recording.
Bloomberg notes that Rashidi also confirmed free access to Starlink services in Iran.
According to NetBlocks, an organization that monitors internet connectivity, a nationwide internet blackout in Iran has been ongoing for five days, depriving millions of people of access to online services.
