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 Iranians 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 organization that helps Iranians get online also stated that Starlink had been made free.
The satellite technology, owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX company, provides internet to tens of thousands of people in Iran, despite the fact that 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. What people need to know is that the government is searching areas where a lot of footage has come out, so they need to be even more cautious, he says.
The device operates like a mobile phone mast in space, using a constellation of satellites to communicate with small dishes on the ground with a built-in WiFi router. However, the device is costly and beyond the means of many in Iran – making its free provision potentially lead to wider use.
Iran's Foreign Minister has claimed internet shutdowns were imposed to cease 'terrorist operations' purportedly organized from abroad. Many human rights groups have condemned the blanket blackout as an abuse of power, stating it impacts the documentation of human rights violations.
Adding to the concern, human rights organizations report that over 2,400 protesters have been killed in the unrest, with real numbers likely higher as verified reports from inside Iran become difficult to obtain.
Despite the oppressive climate, many Iranians are risking severe penalties to communicate what they witness. Those using Starlink face heightened scrutiny, with significant efforts to intercept and jam signals by the Iranian government.
Yet for some, the ability to share videos of the protests and human experiences remains a necessity, despite the latent dangers of using unauthorized technologies in a country where digital surveillance is stringent.
