Elon Musk says about 100 Starlinks are already active in Iran

Dec 26 (Reuters) – SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Monday the company was close to having 100 active Starlinks, the firm’s satellite internet service, in Iran, three months after he tweeted it would activate the service there amid protests surrounding the Islamic State.

Musk said he was “approaching 100 star connections active in Iran” in a tweet on Monday.

The billionaire had said in September that it would activate Starlink in Iran as part of a US-backed effort “to promote internet freedom and the free flow of information” for Iranians.

The satellite-based broadband service could help Iranians bypass government restrictions on internet access and certain social media platforms amid protests in the country.

The Islamic Republic has been engulfed in protests that erupted following the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after she was arrested by morality police for wearing “inappropriate clothing”.

Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Mahler

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