KABUL: Reports from Tehran indicate that, just hours before Prince Reza Pahlavi issued a call to action, WhatsApp voice and video calls were completely disrupted. Millions of Iranians took to the streets last night to demand their freedom, but the government blocked all communication lines. Prince Reza Pahlavi posted on his X account that internet access has been cut off, landlines have gone dead, and the government might also interfere with satellite signals. In response to the internet outage, there have been reports that Elon Musk has quietly activated free access to Starlink satellite internet for the protesters. According to the reports, this action was implemented a few days ago without public announcement, and some protest leaders have been informed privately. It is said that Dubi Francois, an Israeli businessman, brought this issue to Musk’s team after consulting with Alon Cohen, the Deputy Minister. Musk reportedly committed to keeping the network operational at no cost until the protests conclude and to prevent government interference. Starlink, a satellite internet network operated by SpaceX, provides high-speed internet using thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit, independent of ground infrastructure. This technology is particularly useful in remote areas or in situations where internet access is restricted or cut off, although it does raise concerns regarding legal, security, and digital sovereignty issues.
