Elon Musk Looks To Expand Starlink Access To This Country Hit By US Sanctions: 'Will Ask For An Exemption'

Elon Musk has said his private space company SpaceX will try getting special permission to provide Starlink internet access to Iran, which is currently facing tough U.S. economic sanctions.

What Happened: The Tesla Inc TSLA CEO on Monday tweeted that Starlink had expanded its footprint to all continents, including Antarctica. 

Erfan Kasraie, an Iranian science journalist based in Germany, replied to Musk asking if it would "technically possible to provide Starlink to Iranian people," saying that doing so would be a "game changer."

"Starlink will ask for an exemption to Iranian sanctions in this regard," Musk replied.

Starlink will ask for an exemption to Iranian sanctions in this regard

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 19, 2022

See Also: Elon Musk's Starship Launch To Cost Just $10 Per Kg: How It Compares With 'Heavy Lifters' From 5 Decades Ago

Why It Matters: Iran has reportedly taken steps to overcome economic isolation imposed by America since 2018 when Washington pulled out of a joint deal that sought to reduce sanctions on the middle-eastern nation if it curbed its nuclear program. 

Tehran, additionally, has been facing public ire over the government's unwillingness to boost internet speeds and connectivity, and more importantly, a bill that seeks to further tighten cyberspace regulations.

Some observers have pointed out that the proposed legislation, which seeks to criminalize the use of virtual private networks (VPNs), would result in a total shutdown of basic services such as Alphabet Inc.'s GOOGL GOOG Google Mail and Meta Platforms Inc.'s META Instagram and Whatsapp.

Starlink is a low-latency broadband internet beamed from SpaceX satellites to underserved regions on earth — including those in remote places, or those ravaged by war or natural calamities.

In the early stages of the Russia-Ukraine war, at the request of Ukraine, Musk sent Starlink terminals to the war-ravaged nation, which was then facing an internet blackout following attacks by its bigger neighbor.

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