UANI Launches Starlink Internet Project To Bypass Iran's State Blockage

US NGO United Against Iranian Nuclear (UANI) has unveiled an initiative to provide internet services to Iranians in the face of state's access denial to citizens.

The group has managed to secure the initiative, Project Constellation, through the issuance of General License D-2, which authorizes an exemption to US sanctions for "discrete internet services".

The Starlink satellite project website says "the US government has taken action to support the free flow of information to and from the Iranian people". 

It explained: "This license is crucial as it helps keep Iranians online amid pervasive efforts of the Islamic Republic to censor and shut down the internet early and often when there is even a hint of protests being planned."

Mass shutdowns have left millions cut off from the internet across Iran as the government continues its blanket censorship in a bid to prevent more protests, leaving many without access to work and vital services.

Starlink receivers began to be smuggled into Iran last September, in case of the regime enforcing a total blackout. Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is a global network of low-orbit satellites that bypasses the terrestrial internet, and helped restore connectivity in Ukraine after the Russian invasion.

Project Constellation will also offer a fundraising platform, where supporters of the Iranian people can donate funds to send Starlink satellite internet terminals to keep Iranians online. "Based upon the best efforts of our confidential partners, UANI expects to achieve a high rate of Starlink systems successfully smuggled into Iran," the website said.