Iranians still accessing Starlink during harsh crackdown on protests, communications blackout

Some Iranians are still using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service despite a nationwide communications blackout, three people inside the country said, the latest example of Starlink being used to counter internet shutdowns in geopolitical flashpoints.Iranian authorities have in recent days launched a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, including the near-complete shutdown of internet service, which is provided through fiber-optic cables and cellphone towers.But Starlink, which beams its service directly from thousands of low-earth orbit satellites, is still working in some places in Iran, despite being banned by authorities there, three people using Starlink in the country told Reuters.One of them, in Western Iran, said he knew dozens of people using Starlink and that users in border towns and cities were largely unaffected.Alp Toker, founder of internet monitoring group NetBlocks, said he has heard from people in the region that there is still some Starlink access in Iran, though service appears reduced.“It is patchy, but still there,” he said.Toker added a broader internet blackout that began in Iran on January 8th continued on Monday, with non-satellite connectivity at around 1% of usual levels in the country, based on the fixed-line and mobile internet data NetBlocks tracks.While it is not clear how Starlink’s service was being disrupted in Iran, some specialists said it could be the result of jamming of Starlink terminals that would overpower their ability to receive signals from the satellites.Starlink, which is part of privately held US company SpaceX, did not respond to requests for comment.

Authorities in Iran could not be reached on Monday, amid phone and internet outages.Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on terrorists and vowed to safeguard the governing system.The communication lifeline Starlink has provided for some protesters in Iran is the latest sign of the influence Musk and his satellite internet service have i...