(Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
UPDATE: SpaceX says it'll also provide users affected by wildfires in Los Angeles with one free month of Starlink service.
The offer applies to both new subscribers to Starlink and existing customers, according to a SpaceX support document, which includes instructions on accessing the temporary disaster relief plan.
Original story:
SpaceX will donate free Starlink dishes to victims of the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles.
"SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals to affected areas in LA tomorrow morning," CEO Elon Musk tweeted late last night.
At least 130,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate the region as five wildfires continue to burn. A growing number of neighborhoods are also without electricity and cellular coverage.
Musk also referenced a video clip of a local TV reporter covering the fires. “The only reason you're able to see us right now is because of Starlink,” the FOX 11 reporter said in the broadcast. “The connection we just got today, that’s the only reason we’re able to hear and communicate with you guys right now.” (That said, news teams have often used satellite dish-carrying trucks to beam live recordings for decades.)
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, so it’s unclear how residents will be able to access the free Starlink dishes. However, SpaceX previously worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and private groups to deploy hundreds of Starlink dishes in areas hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the southeastern US last year.
Both disasters once again underscore how Starlink can play a vital role in restoring communications when an emergency strikes. The technology relays high-speed internet to users using orbiting satellites instead of ground cables.
In response to the hurricanes last year, SpaceX also offered eligible residents one free month of internet access to Starlink. The company then extended the deal for the rest of 2024, following criticism when consumers learned they had to buy a $349 Starlink dish to access the offer.
It's unclear if SpaceX will launch a similar program for LA residents. In the meantime, Musk is criticizing environmental regulations in California for allegedly enabling the fires.