Pentagon disputes SpaceX’s $500M plan for Starlink service in Iran
The Pentagon is contesting SpaceX's proposal for a $500 million upfront payment and a monthly fee of $100 million for a direct-to-cell Starlink service in Iran. This service aims to provide internet access to Iranian smartphones, allowing users to bypass government-imposed internet blackouts. The cost and implications of this deal have raised concerns within the Defense Department, especially given the military's reliance on SpaceX's infrastructure.
- ▪SpaceX is proposing a direct-to-cell Starlink service for Iran that would cost $500 million upfront and $100 million monthly.
- ▪The service would allow ordinary mobile phones in Iran to access the internet during government blackouts.
- ▪The Pentagon has accepted some increased terminal fees for military Starlink hardware, but is reluctant about the overall costs.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Pentagon disputes SpaceX’s $500M plan for Starlink service in Iran SpaceX wants half a billion dollars upfront plus $100M per month to beam internet directly to Iranian phones, and the Defense Department isn't exactly thrilled about the price tag. Share Add us on Google by Editorial Team May. 26, 2026 window.sevioads = window.sevioads || []; var sevioads_preferences = []; sevioads_preferences[0] = {}; sevioads_preferences[0].zone = "01f21ccf-2092-46b1-9ac7-8c44cc782e0f"; sevioads_preferences[0].adType = "native"; sevioads_preferences[0].inventoryId = "c5700508-581b-472c-8fdd-a931cdbfc8e1"; sevioads_preferences[0].accountId = "1e47efc1-ec2d-4fca-a8b9-354e249e5095"; sevioads.push(sevioads_preferences); SpaceX has pitched the Pentagon on a direct-to-cell Starlink service that would let…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Crypto Briefing.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Crypto Briefing
