Some Iranians are still using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service despite a nationwide communications blackout, three people inside the country said, the latest example of Starlink being used to counter internet shutdowns in geopolitical flashpoints.
Iranian authorities in recent days have launched a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, including a near-complete shutdown of internet service, which is normally provided through fiber-optic cables and cellphone towers. But Starlink, which beams its service directly from thousands of low-Earth orbit satellites, is still working in some parts of Iran despite being banned by authorities, three people using Starlink in the country told Reuters. One user in western Iran said he knew dozens of people using Starlink and that users in border towns and cities were largely unaffected.
Alp Toker, founder of the internet monitoring group NetBlocks, said he has heard from people in the region that there is still some Starlink access in Iran, though service appears reduced.
“It is patchy, but still there,” he said. Toker added that a broader internet blackout that began in Iran on Jan. 8 continued on Monday, with non-satellite connectivity at around 1% of usual levels, based on fixed-line and mobile internet data tracked by NetBlocks.
While it is not clear how Starlink’s service is being disrupted in Iran, some specialists said it could be the result of jamming Starlink terminals, overpowering their ability to receive signals from satellites.
Starlink, part of the privately held U.S. company SpaceX, did not respond to requests for comment. Iranian authorities could not be reached on Monday amid phone and internet outages. Iranian officials have blamed the unrest on terrorists and vowed to safeguard the governing system.
Critical tool amid global conflicts
The communication lifeline Starlink has provided to some protesters in Iran is the latest sign of the influence Musk and his satellite internet service have had in conflicts and unrest around the world. Starlink has been a critical tool for Ukrainian forces since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. In Myanmar, where the military junta has imposed repeated internet shutdowns, rebel groups, aid organizations and medics have used Starlink for communications. In Sudan, Starlink has also been used by both sides in a yearslong civil war amid prolonged blackouts.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he plans to speak with Musk about restoring internet access in Iran, without mentioning Starlink. Musk previously shipped free Starlink terminals, which are slightly larger than a laptop, to Ukraine and offered free internet service there. Standard Starlink terminals cost about $599, plus a monthly service fee, making them unaffordable for many Iranians.
Musk’s ability to tip the balance in global conflicts was demonstrated when he shut down Starlink as Ukraine retook territory from Russia in 2022, Reuters previously reported. Starlink is not licensed to operate in Iran, but Musk has previously said the service is active there. In December 2022, he wrote on his social media platform X that the company was “approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran,” a modest figure given Iran’s population of about 92 million.
In June last year, responding to a post on X calling on him to provide Starlink access to Iran, Musk wrote, “Beams are on.”
Following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, Iran’s parliament passed a law formally banning the use of Starlink, introducing severe penalties for those who use or distribute the unlicensed technology, according to Iranian state media.