The number of Iranians using Starlink, a satellite internet service engineered by SpaceX, has skyrocketed, as more than 100,000 people accessed the service in defiance of the government’s internet restrictions, according to Iran International.

The service, which surged in popularity following the death of Mahsa Amini and the outbreak of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in 2022, allows users to access high-speed internet without restrictions. However, such widespread use may not be economically sustainable.

Newsweek reached out to the Iranian Mission to the United Nations and SpaceX, as Starlink is its subsidiary, for comment via email outside of normal business hours.

Why It Matters

The increase in usage of Starlink in Iran is significant because it indicates that the Iranian public will not submit to further government censorship online, and that they may find other ways to push back against the control exerted by the regime.

Moreover, it signifies that tensions between the Iranian people and the government have continued to simmer since 2022, with the public seemingly not concerned with punishment for accessing restricted services.

What to Know

The nationwide surge in the usage of Starlink followed a Forbes report, published in December, that noted 20,000 Iranians were utilizing the service to bypass government restrictions online and censorship. The satellite internet service is banned in Iran, but for those who have accessed it, it is difficult for the Islamic regime to censor.

The Iranian government has blocked access to various internet platforms including Telegram, Instagram and X, and it has frequently arrested individuals for making statements that appear to be against the regime online. The state government lobbied the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to exclude the country from satellite internet coverage in 2023, and a former Iranian official said that the country could get rid of Starlink if Elon Musk does not adhere to government regulations.

A global internet index curated by the non-profit Freedom House ranked Iran as “not free” in terms of internet access, with seven obstacles to access, four limits on content, and one violation of user rights. The reason the internet satellite service became so popular after the women’s rights protests began in 2022 is because access to Instagram and WhatsApp was restricted due to widespread civil unrest. The activist hacker group Anonymous aided Iranians in finding ways to bypass the restrictions nearly three years ago. Musk then activated Starlink’s services in the country after the U.S. lifted some export restrictions on internet services to Iran that same year.

Starlink, operated by tech mogul Musk, is the largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit in the world. The internet satellite service is available for use both on land and out at sea, and they resell in Iran for between $700 and $2,000, compared to the price of $250 in the U.S. The service is most well-known for being utilized in remote parts of Ukraine, as the war with Russia has led to frequent internet blackouts due to Moscow’s interference.

What People Are Saying

Regarding use of Starlink in Iran, Pouya Pirhosseinlou, the head of the Internet and Infrastructure Committee at Tehran’s E-Commerce Association, said: “Over 30,000 unique users are utilizing satellite internet, suggesting that the total number of satellite internet users exceeds 100,000. This indicates that we will likely witness further growth in the use of this technology in the country in the future.

“Using Starlink is the most expensive method of internet access, which disrupts the communications economy, drains hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign currency from the country and diminishes hope for domestic improvements to internet services.”

Amir Mohammadzadeh Lajevardi, the former deputy minister for information and communication technology, previously said: “SpaceX must comply with Iran’s regulations, otherwise the Islamic Republic could disrupt its coverage.”

NasNet, a group working to make Starlink accessible in Iran, wrote: “Soon the number of users will reach millions and the governance of the Internet will be completely removed from the hands of the government.”

What Happens Next

The Iranian government may try to impose further restrictions to internet access and limit the use of Starlink due to the rise in users, and the Iranian people will likely protest in response.