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How reliable is Starlink as a wartime communications line?

January 21, 2026

Starlink has helped some news and images get out of Iran during protests this month despite a government-imposed internet blackout. Here's how the technology works — and the risks it involves.

https://p.dw.com/p/57A8p

Operated by SpaceX, Starlink has offered free access in past crises, including during protests in Iran in 2022 and after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

But the system carries a structural risk: access ultimately depends on decisions by its owner, Elon Musk.

Ralph Martin TV news reporter and editor