After backlash, Elon Musk's Starlink extends free service for hurricane victims through 2024

Milton Recovery: Storm chaser assesses damage

Power and other utilities continued to slowly be restored across Florida on Friday after Hurricane Milton made landfall on the Gulf Coast, flooding neighborhoods and spawning deadly tornadoes. The death toll increased on Friday, with at least 10 people killed in the storm. At its peak, more than 4 million customers were without electricity in the state. Milton also flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off a baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane. Mike Boylan joins LiveNOW from FOX to show the damage he's seeing on the ground.

LOS ANGELES - Facing criticism over its initial offer, SpaceX has improved its Starlink deal for residents affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Originally, the company provided only one month of free service for those living in hurricane-ravaged areas, but that plan required the purchase of a $349 Starlink dish, and regular service charges would have resumed afterward.

After a backlash from the public, media, and government officials, SpaceX announced on Friday that it would now provide free Starlink service through the end of the year for both new and existing customers in hurricane-impacted zones.

"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," the company said.

Costs and Criticism

While Starlink’s offer was intended to help those recovering from devastating storms, many found the $349 dish cost and the $120 monthly fee unreasonable, especially since traditional internet services might be restored before Starlink dishes could even arrive.

According to SpaceX, if you don’t already have a Starlink kit, delivery times could take up to three weeks — far too long for some to benefit from the service during the critical recovery period.

Starlink devices for Internet connection are donated to Hurricane Helene victims.

To address these concerns, SpaceX dropped its monthly fee for the rest of 2024 and stated that users would be notified before billing resumes in January 2025. However, after the free period, customers will be automatically moved to a Residential subscription, unless further extensions are necessary due to ongoing recovery efforts.

Accessing the Free Service

Existing Starlink users in affected areas can take advantage of the free service by submitting a customer support ticket to request the waiver of fees. New customers can purchase a Starlink dish via the Starlink website or authorized retailers like Best Buy or Home Depot to access the service.

FCC Involvement

In addition to SpaceX’s efforts, the FCC is also stepping in to help hurricane victims by offering discounted phone and broadband services. This ensures that even those unable to afford full-priced services will still have access to essential communication tools as recovery continues.