SpaceX is offering free access to its Starlink broadband services for the rest of 2024 in areas affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Starlink is a satellite internet service developed by SpaceX. It uses a constellation of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit to provide high-speed internet access to users on the ground.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene and Milton, SpaceX has distributed more than 10,000 Starlink kits, which include the receiver that is required to access the service, waived monthly fees and enabled emergency alerts over cellular networks in affected areas.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in northwest Florida as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26, followed shortly by Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, which made landfall along Florida's west-central Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm. The back-to-back hurricanes caused catastrophic flooding, food and water shortages and widespread power and communication outages.
Related: Monstrous Hurricane Milton captured in 4K video by new Sen cameras on ISS
"For those impacted by hurricanes Helene or Milton, Starlink service is now free through the end of the year to help with response and recovery efforts," SpaceX announced Friday (Oct. 11) in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The company's decision follows plans to initially provide free service for 30 days in areas hit by Hurricane Helene. However, the subsequent impacts of Hurricane Milton led to dropping the monthly service fee (normally $120 per month) for the rest of the year.
Free access to the Starlink internet service is being offered to new and existing residential customers across impacted areas of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia. A Starlink receiver is required, which costs $349 and can be purchased online or from an authorized retailer such as Best Buy or Home Depot, according to a customer support article.
"At the end of the year, we will move you to a paid Residential subscription, tied [to] the location you are using it in at that time," the support article states. "We will reevaluate as necessary based on conditions in the area."
In addition to waiving the monthly fee, SpaceX also worked with T-Mobile to enable basic text messaging (SMS), allowing users in areas affected by the recent hurricanes to communicate with friends and family, text 911 and receive emergency alerts.
"If a phone connects to a Starlink satellite, it will have 1 to 2 bars of signal and show 'T-Mobile SpaceX' in the network name," SpaceX shared in another post on X. "Users may have to manually retry text messages if they don't go through at first, as this is being delivered on a best-effort basis. The service works best outdoors, and occasionally works indoors near a window."
SpaceX began launching Starlink internet satellites into orbit in 2019 with the goal of creating a megaconstellation. The network has steadily expanded, with more than 6,000 operational Starlink satellites in orbit above Earth.
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