SpaceX is reportedly providing free Starlink access in Iran when the satellite internet service has become a vital way for local users to remain online, amid a violent military crackdown.
On Tuesday, the Iranian activist group NasNet was the first to report that SpaceX had waived the subscription fee for Starlink users in the country.
“After weeks of continuous efforts, negotiations, and discussions with the Starlink team and United States authorities, we have successfully provided access to Starlink for free to serve the revolution,” the group claimed in a tweet.
In an email, NasNet also told PCMag that it’s the “largest Farsi-speaking Starlink community in the world,” which has included publishing guides on using Starlink to help circumvent Iran’s online censorship.
“We have been in active communication with Starlink through multiple unofficial channels,” the group added without elaborating.
So far, SpaceX hasn’t commented on the situation. But a source familiar with Starlink’s operations told Bloomberg that the company had greenlit the free service. Two other Iranian activist groups, Filterbaan and Holistic Resilience, say they’ve also confirmed Starlink has become free in the country — so long as the user owns the dish hardware.
(Photo by ANONYMOUS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Starlink.com has yet to mention the Iranian access. But SpaceX might be holding off from an official announcement because President Trump is weighing his options on possibly intervening in Iran. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, the President wrote: “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING… HELP IS ON ITS WAY.” The day before Trump also told reporters that he planned on speaking with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about Iran.
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The free access arrives when Iran took the extraordinary step last week of shutting down all internet access in response to anti-government protests. To stay online, local Iranians have been relying on Starlink, an outlawed technology that uses orbiting satellites from SpaceX to supply the high-speed broadband.
To cut off access, the Iranian government appears to have resorted to jamming Starlink signals and confiscating Starlink dishes, according to Iranian activists and media reports. The country has also been cracking down on the anti-government protests with force, likely leaving thousands dead.
The group NasNet also told PCMag that “field assessments indicate two forms of interference: GPS jamming and spoofing, which can be partially mitigated through exclusive Starlink’s internal positioning system, and more aggressive radio-frequency interference targeting the uplink, which is easier to disrupt than the downlink.”
In response, NasNet claims to have been working with SpaceX to successfully overcome the jamming efforts through two software updates that rolled out on January 8th and today. “While Starlink service in Iran has not been cut off, service quality in Tehran continues to fluctuate due to ongoing interference efforts,” the group said.
Starlink satellite coverage over Iran. (Carlos Placido)
Satellite industry analyst Carlos Placido also noted “Starlink currently offers tens of satellites in view in most regions, providing multiple alternative links if one is disrupted.”
As many as 30,000 to over 50,000 Starlink dishes may have already been smuggled into Iran after the Biden administration cleared SpaceX to offer the satellite internet service in the country back in 2022. Local Iranians and activist groups have since been using Starlink in defiance of Iran’s ban by paying for the Roam plan for the satellite internet service, which enables access across most of the globe.
Elsewhere, including the US, SpaceX has also offered temporary free Starlink service to help users in disaster areas. In addition, the company recently offered a free month of service for users in Venezuela, following the US’s airstrikes and capture of former President Nicolás Maduro.
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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