As citizens angered by economic collapse and a currency free fall poured into the streets, the Iranian government pulled an extreme card on the 8th, shutting down the nation's entire communications network, including the internet. But a tiny hole opened in this vast digital wall. The protagonist is Starlink, the satellite internet service run by SpaceX, led by Elon Musk.
According to major foreign media including Al Jazeera on the 14th local time, the ongoing anti-government protests in Iran have taken the shape of an information war against the government's attempt to blind and deafen 85 million Iranians. According to the tally by the nonprofit Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA), at least 2,586 identified people have died in protests that have continued since the end of last month. Some foreign media reported the death toll could range from 12,000 to as many as 20,000.
Starlink is the primary channel broadcasting this tragic situation to the world in real time. When the Iranian government shut down communications nationwide on the 8th, SpaceX abruptly waived Starlink service fees in Iran. Although there was no official announcement, local Iranian activists said that starting on the 13th anyone with a signal receiver could use the internet for free. AP said the same day that "Starlink even conducted an emergency firmware update to pierce the Iranian government's jamming."
This is not the first time Starlink has served as a game changer in conflict zones. After Russia's 2022 invasion, Starlink in Ukraine became a central pillar supporting military operations and civilian communications. After Maduro's arrest this year, Venezuela has been offered free service for a month through early next month. Like Iran, Venezuela is a place where the government controls the internet and the economy is plunging to the worst. The newsweekly Time said, "Starlink is the only lifeline to the outside world in isolation."
The economic spillover effects are significant. In countries like Iran and Venezuela, where fiat currency has become worthless and banks are paralyzed, Starlink is the only financial infrastructure. Citizens access the internet via Starlink to transact cryptocurrency or receive remittances from family abroad. In Iran, Starlink antennas are traded on the black market for $600 (about 880,000 won) to as high as several thousand dollars. A measure to waive the $120 (about 180,000 won) monthly fee for a certain period becomes an economic bulwark for Iranian citizens whose household income has collapsed.
The secret to Starlink becoming a threat to authoritarian regimes lies in its overwhelming technical architecture. Traditional satellite internet uses geostationary satellites 36,000 km from the ground. Being far from Earth, speeds are slow and latency is long. Starlink places thousands of satellites densely in low Earth orbit 550 km up, keeping them close to the ground. That makes data transmission faster with almost no latency. It is stable enough to transmit high-definition video directly from protest sites.
Above all, the biggest strength is that you only need an antenna weighing about 200 grams, lighter than a smartphone, without any need for ground base stations. Even if the government cuts fiber-optic cables or pressures telecom companies, data transmission is unaffected. When the Iranian government attempted jamming, SpaceX immediately pushed a firmware update to route around the signal, showcasing execution.
Experts said Starlink has emerged as more than a simple communications service, becoming a new geopolitical variable. Marco Papic, a global geostrategy analyst at BCA Research, said, "Starlink allows the internet to be provided by a private company rather than the state, even in authoritarian countries," adding, "In regions with regimes hostile to the United States, free Starlink service is likely to solidify into a pattern."
The cost for SpaceX to give months of free benefits to users numbering in the tens of millions in places like Venezuela and Iran is estimated to reach at least several million dollars. But experts said the data it secures through such promotions and the image as a "guardian of freedom" carry value beyond the expense. President Donald Trump also sent a message cheering on Iranian protesters, saying "help is on the way," lending support to Musk's moves.
Citing experts, Time reported that SpaceX is also pursuing such large-scale promotions as part of a mid- to long-term market preemption strategy. Free service in conflict zones is a chance to prove exclusive performance in unstable-service regions, even if it forgoes revenue for now. It can secure brand recognition that other corporations cannot substitute.
There was also an analysis that this is a gambit to seize a "space-based internet standard" that consolidates anywhere in the world going forward. Lorin Williams, deputy director of the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program, said, "Starlink is a clear and definitive business case that brings strategic benefits to SpaceX."