Elon Musk made Starlink satellite internet free for Iranian residents

SpaceX has canceled subscription fees for its Starlink service in Iran. The decision was made amid mass protests and the ongoing blocking of the internet by official Tehran. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.

Details

The cancellation of tariffs was confirmed by Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director of the American group Holistic Resilience, which helps Iranians get secure access to the network. Starlink terminal owners inside the country can now use satellite communications for free.

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Earlier, US President Donald Trump appealed to the leadership of SpaceX with a request to help restore communication in Iran to support the demonstrators. Currently, the use of Starlink equipment remains prohibited by current Iranian law, but the terminals continue to operate bypassing official restrictions.

Starlink as a tool of geopolitics

This is not the first time Elon Musk has intervened in geopolitical conflicts. SpaceX has been providing free communication to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, and also provides broadband access to Venezuelan citizens after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro.

Experts note that SpaceX's satellite service is becoming an important tool of US "soft power," allowing it to bypass digital censorship in authoritarian states. SpaceX has not yet officially commented on the introduction of a free regime for the Iranian region. 

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