Elon Musk is showing solidarity with the Iranian protest movement: His satellite internet service could help anti-government protesters in Iran bypass internet restrictions.
According to businessman Elon Musk, the Starlink satellite internet service is making progress in rolling out its facilities in Iran. Musk said on Monday that they are close to having 100 Starlinks active in Iran. In September, in the face of anti-government protests in the country, he said he wanted to activate Starlinks there as part of a US-backed initiative to promote Internet freedom and the free flow of information.
Earlier this year, Musk also activated Starlink services in Ukraine. Musk’s company, SpaceX, has long built a dense network of satellites in space to create a global Internet. The services will also be used by the Ukrainian army in the fight against the Russian war of aggression.
Bypass internet restriction
Satellite broadband service could help protesters in Iran bypass government-imposed restrictions on access to the internet and certain social media platforms.
In Iran, there have been violent protests against the country’s leadership for months. The trigger was the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She died in September under controversial circumstances. She had previously been detained by police for allegedly violating the strict Islamic dress code for women in Iran. The protests pose one of the biggest challenges for the Islamic Republic ruled by Shia Muslims since the 1979 revolution.
Iran has said the protesters are being trained and armed by the country’s enemies, including the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
(APA/Portal)