Elon Musk Installs Nearly 100 Starlink Satellites in Iran to Support Free Internet Services

JAKARTA – SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated on Monday 26 December that his company now has nearly 100 active Starlink satellites, powering their satellite internet service in Iran. This comes three months after he tweeted that he would activate internet services there amid protests around the Islamic state.

"Near 100 active Starlinks in Iran", Musk said in a tweet on Monday.

The billionaire said in September that he would activate Starlink in Iran as part of US government-backed efforts "to advance internet freedom and the free flow of information" to Iran.

According to a Reuters report, satellite-based broadband services can help Iranians circumvent their government's restrictions on accessing the internet and certain social media platforms amid protests across the country.

The Islamic Republic has been engulfed by protests that erupted after the death last September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after being arrested by the morality police for wearing "inappropriate clothing".

In providing internet services in Iran is done for free or free of charge. Musk also did something similar in Ukraine when facing the Russian invasion since last February.