New Delhi, Jan. 14 -- As protests intensify in Iran amid a nationwide internet blackout, Elon Musk's Starlink has started offering free satellite net services in the country. However, Musk's efforts have been hampered by Tehran, which has reportedly mobilized Russian technology to block the billionaire's free internet push.

SpaceX on Tuesday, US time, began waived the Starlink subscription fee in Iran, Bloomberg and CNN reported, effectively enabling people with receivers to acess the network without paying.

While SpaceX has yet to announce anything officially, the development was confirmed by company sources in the know, and by Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director at the technology nonprofit Holistic Resilience, which works with Iranians...