The Fine Print Reveals Something Different for Elon Musk’s 'Free' Starlink Offering

When Starlink's CEO Elon Musk announced on Oct. 1 that all residents in Hurricane Helene's damage path were eligible for 30 days of free service, many people didn't factor in the costs of the $349 equipment purchase.

On Oct. 1, Musk tweeted that SpaceX is enforcing a system update allowing “all Starlinks in the affected areas to work, regardless of payment.”

Read more: T-Mobile Will Use Starlink for Emergency Alerts, SMS Texting During Hurricane Milton

Although Starlink also announced that around 500 Starlink kits were being deployed to Appalachia -- a region particularly devastated by Hurricane Helene -- those not receiving the kits from an organization will have to foot the equipment bill themselves. After 30 days, Starlink will move you to a paid subscription and bill you the standard $120 monthly service fee.

Starlink's Hurricane Helene relief page offers detailed instructions for new or current customers -- including customers activating multiple kits at a time. That page now includes a note reminding users that they'll need a Starlink kit to activate the 30-day service.

This is an example of what your bill will be if you're activating Starlink's 30-day free internet service as part of Hurricane Helene relief.

Starlink

If you currently own a Starlink kit, you'll have to sign in and create a support ticket to receive the 30-day free subscription.

According to a government press release on Oct. 2, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Starlink collaborated to provide 67 Starlink kits to North Carolina, “including three Starlinks for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation and four Starlinks for critical lifeline locations.” Those not receiving Starlink kits from the government must purchase the $349 kit from its website or from a retailer like Best Buy or Home Depot.

You can check to see if your county is eligible for the free internet service by inputting your address on Starlink's website.

Starlink's Hurricane Helene relief map shows the counties that are eligible for one month of free Starlink internet service.

Starlink

Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm and ravaged Appalachia with flooding, landslides and power outages. Free internet offers from Spectrum and offers from other providers may help provide an essential lifeline for those still with limited resources.