Starlink tries to stay online in Iran as regime jams signals during protests

In a bid to counter the Iranian government's severe internet restrictions, former President Trump urged Elon Musk to enhance the reliability of Starlink services in Iran. This call for action came as the Iranian government initiated a violent crackdown on anti-government protests, resulting in widespread internet and phone line outages. Reports indicate that thousands of individuals have lost their lives amid the unrest, prompting urgent measures to restore communication. While Starlink has not been entirely rendered inoperative, the Iranian regime's jamming techniques have led to significant packet loss, reported between 30 to 80 percent. SpaceX has been actively working to overcome these jamming challenges for several days. A group known as NasNet, dedicated to assisting Iranians in accessing Starlink, shared on X (formerly Twitter) that they collaborated with SpaceX's technical team to implement updates that have successfully reduced packet loss to approximately 10 percent. However, they cautioned that the situation remains precarious, describing it as an ongoing 'game of cat and mouse' that could deteriorate at any moment. Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, expressed his commitment to ensuring Starlink's operational status in Iran, stating, "We may get the Internet going, if that’s possible." He indicated plans to contact Musk directly to discuss potential solutions. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that the former president has engaged with Musk regarding internet services in Iran. Despite the Iranian government never authorizing Starlink's operations—making its use illegal—reports have emerged that authorities began confiscating Starlink dishes in western Tehran over the weekend. In response to previous protests in 2022, when the Iranian government also imposed internet restrictions, the Biden administration had issued a general license allowing U.S. companies to provide internet services to the Iranian populace.