Elon Musk Activates 100 Starlinks In Iran After Government Blocks Internet Access Amid Protests

SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk announced that his company is now close to having 100 Starlink satellite internet terminals active in Iran amid protests in the country.

What Happened: Musk on Monday tweeted “approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran," three months after the billionaire announced that he would activate the service in Tehran amid nationwide anti-regime demonstrations. 

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The billionaire in September had promised that he would activate Starlink in Iran as part of a U.S.-backed effort “to advance internet freedom and the free flow of information.”

By using Starlink’s satellite-based internet service, residents may be able to avoid the harsh access restrictions that the Iranian government has implemented in response to the protests.

Iran has been engulfed in nationwide anti-government protests since mid-September. Thousands of citizens took to the streets to protest after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman, in police custody. Amini was detained by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab “improperly.”

Earlier this week, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Transformation, also praised Musk and said SpaceX would send more than 10,000 of the Starlink antennas in the coming months to Ukraine.

Photo: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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