"Iranian authorities have implemented a near-total shutdown of the internet in a crackdown on widespread anti-government protests, but a sliver of the population is keeping in touch with the outside world by satellite. Starlink, a division of Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX, is playing an outsized and in the eyes of overseas activists, crucial role in connecting Iran with the rest of the world as the country's leadership turns to force to try to quash the protests."
"Starlink provides high-speed internet access, and can be used in many places where internet connections are hard to get, including rural areas and at sea. It has also been used in conflict zones before. After Russia's invasion, SpaceX made Starlink available in Ukraine, and it quickly became crucial for civilians and the military. More than 2,600 people have been killed so far in Iran's crackdown, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. NPR has not independently confirmed this figure."
Iran imposed a near-total internet shutdown amid widespread anti-government protests while some people used satellite connections to reach the outside world. Starlink, a SpaceX division, provided high-speed satellite internet usable in remote areas, at sea, and in conflict zones and was previously deployed in Ukraine to support civilians and the military. Activists reported many protest images and videos emerged via Starlink during the blackout. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported more than 2,600 killed in the crackdown, a figure not independently confirmed by NPR. Starlink's constellation comprises about 9,500 low-earth orbit satellites, roughly two-thirds of active satellites.
Read at www.npr.org
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