"Access to Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service is now free in Iran as regime continues brutal crackdown on protests" 14 January 2026

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is now providing free internet access via its Starlink satellite service to users in Iran as the country’s regime continues its bloody crackdown on anti-government protests, according to a tech expert in touch with Iranian Starlink users...Starlink accounts in Iran that were previously inactive now have connections and their subscription fees have been waived as of Tuesday, said Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director at the technology nonprofit Holistic Resilience...

Providing free access will be a welcome step for activists, but it’s only likely to help a small percentage of Iran’s 92 million population get online and the regime has the ability to jam Starlink...Blocking internet access for Iranians is relatively straightforward for the regime, Madory said, because there are only two companies that connect Iran to the internet...

Despite the risk of being executed for using Starlink terminals, there was a “surge” in demand for the equipment inside Iran following the war with Israel, according to Ahmadian...

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