Starlink Service Offered Free in Iran Amid Protest Crackdown

Thu Jan 15 2026 10:11:59 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Starlink has temporarily waived subscription fees for Iranian users, providing a crucial communication tool amid ongoing protests and government internet shutdowns.

In response to a government-imposed internet blackout during nationwide protests, Starlink has made its internet service free for users in Iran. This has become a vital lifeline for protestors seeking to communicate and document events despite significant risks, including potential imprisonment for using the service. Reports indicate that Starlink devices are being actively sought by authorities, complicating the situation for users striving to share real-time updates on the protests against the government. The move comes amid a backdrop of severe human rights violations, with thousands reportedly killed during the unrest.

Starlink has reportedly waived monthly subscription payments for users inside Iran after its government shut down the internet last Thursday - cutting off millions of people from their families, livelihoods, and access to information, during a deadly crackdown on protests.

The satellite technology has become a vital communications lifeline for some of those in the country trying to tell the outside world what has been happening on the ground in recent days.

Two people in Iran told BBC Persian their device was running on Tuesday night even though they had not been keeping up with subscription payments. The director of an organisation that helps Iranians get online also told BBC Persian that Starlink had been made free.

The satellite technology, which belongs to Elon Musk's SpaceX company, provides internet to tens of thousands of people in Iran, despite the fact it is illegal there. Since the internet was shut down, it has become one of the last, if not the last, remaining channels for Iranians to communicate with the outside world.

The BBC has approached SpaceX to confirm it has waived the fee, but they are yet to respond.

Using the service in Iran carries a punishment of up to two years in prison and authorities have reportedly been searching for Starlink dishes to stop people from connecting to the internet.

They're going onto rooftops and checking the surrounding buildings, says Parsa - not his real name - who spoke to BBC Persian using a Starlink connection.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the internet had been cut off after we confronted terrorist operations and realised orders were coming from outside the country. Human rights groups have condemned this shutdown as an abuse of power, with verified reports of significant violence against protestors.

Accounts indicate that while some citizens risk using Starlink to witness the ongoing events, Iranian authorities are taking aggressive measures to jam the satellite signal, resulting in demonstrators relying on ingenious methods to share evidence from within the country. The situation remains precarious as many struggle to navigate both the digital landscape and governmental surveillance.