Tehran/ Los Angeles – January 14, 2026 – Elon Musk’s SpaceX has reportedly made its Starlink satellite internet service available free of charge to users in Iran starting Tuesday, January 13, 2026, enabling protesters and ordinary citizens to bypass the Iranian government's most severe internet blackout in recent history. The move, confirmed by multiple Iranian activists and U.S.-based nonprofit organizations working on digital freedom, comes as authorities impose near-total communications restrictions during a renewed wave of nationwide anti-government demonstrations that have resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread arrests.
Although SpaceX has not issued an official announcement and did not respond to requests for comment from major news outlets, credible reports from activists indicate that Starlink terminals—previously requiring paid subscriptions—are now connecting without fees. Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director of the U.S.-based nonprofit Holistic Resilience, which supports Iranians in accessing unrestricted internet, stated that inactive Starlink accounts in Iran suddenly gained connectivity with waived fees as of Tuesday morning. Users simply need a clear view of the sky to plug in and connect, he explained.
Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based Iranian activist and co-founder of Net Freedom Pioneers—a nonprofit that has facilitated the smuggling of Starlink units into Iran—described the service as "crucial" in the current crisis. In interviews with outlets like the Associated Press and CNN, Yahyanejad pointed to graphic footage that emerged on Sunday, January 11, 2026, showing rows of bodies at a forensic medical center near Tehran. "That footage showed a few hundred bodies on the ground, and it came out because of Starlink," he said. "Those videos changed people’s understanding of what is happening because they could see it with their own eyes." The images, which circulated rapidly on social media outside Iran, depicted the scale of the regime's violent response to the protests, including alleged mass casualties from security forces' crackdowns.
The protests, which began in late December 2025 over economic collapse, hyperinflation, currency devaluation, and calls for regime change, have spread to all 31 provinces and more than 100 cities. Unlike the 2022-2023 Mahsa Amini uprising, which was largely driven by women and girls protesting mandatory hijab laws, the current demonstrations involve broader participation, including young men and shopkeepers from the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. Human rights organizations estimate the death toll has surpassed 2,500, with thousands detained and facing trials or executions. An Iranian judge has signaled impending mass trials, further intensifying fears.
On January 8, 2026—the 12th day of the protests—Iranian authorities imposed a near-total internet shutdown, disconnecting the National Information Network even internally. Cybersecurity monitoring groups like Netblocks reported traffic dropping to near zero, disrupting everyday life, including banking, hospitals, pharmacies, and digital transactions. Many businesses remained closed as a result. The blackout is described as one of the most aggressive in Iran's history, surpassing previous restrictions during the 2019 and 2022 protests.
Starlink, which operates through a constellation of thousands of low-Earth-orbit satellites, bypasses traditional terrestrial infrastructure, making it harder for governments to fully block. While Iran has banned the service since June 2025 and criminalized its possession (with penalties up to death for users accused of aiding foreign powers), smuggling networks have brought in tens of thousands of terminals over the past few years. Yahyanejad estimated the figure aligns with earlier official Iranian acknowledgments of widespread use.
Despite the free access, challenges persist. Iranian authorities have deployed military-grade jamming against Starlink signals, causing an estimated 30% packet loss in some areas, according to digital rights expert Amir Rashidi of the Miaan Group. Security forces have conducted door-to-door searches for terminals, using drones to scan rooftops for satellite dishes. The regime has also protested Starlink's operations to international bodies like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Experts note that while Starlink provides a lifeline, it serves only a fraction of Iran's 92 million population—likely hundreds of thousands at most—due to the limited number of terminals and ongoing jamming efforts.
The timing of the free access follows reports of a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk earlier in the week, during which they discussed restoring internet in Iran. Trump has publicly urged protesters to continue resisting and stated that "all options" for U.S. support, including military action, are on the table. The Starlink waiver aligns with U.S. policies easing sanctions on technology for internet freedom in repressive regimes, though SpaceX maintains it does not directly supply hardware due to sanctions.
Activists view the development as a potential game-changer. Ahmad Ahmadian noted that compared to 2019, when government restrictions effectively silenced information flow for over a week, the proliferation of Starlink has made total suppression impossible. "The flow could increase now that the service has been made free," he said. However, users risk severe repercussions, including espionage charges for perceived collaboration with the U.S. or Israel.
Starlink has previously activated free or emergency access in conflict zones, such as Ukraine in 2022, and has become a symbol of digital resilience. In Iran, its role has expanded significantly since the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests, where it first provided uncensored connectivity.
As the blackout enters its second week and protests show no signs of abating, the free Starlink access offers a narrow but vital channel for Iranians to document events, organize, and communicate with the outside world. With the regime reportedly finalizing an "internet kill switch" for extended global disconnection, the battle over information control intensifies.
