Starlink and Biden Unite to Provide Free Internet in Post-Helene Appalachia

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Key Takeaways

  • Starlink and the Biden administration are providing free internet in Appalachia.
  • The company will place approximately 500 Starlink Kits in the regions damaged by Hurricane Helene.
  • After a free period, users will be moved to a paid subscription.

Starlink and the Biden administration are providing free Starlink internet for 30 days to people in Hurricane Helene’s destruction zone.

Elon Musk’s Starlink will place approximately 500 Starlink Kits in the regions damaged by Hurricane Helene and offer free 30-day internet service for the area, according to the company’s blog post.

The service is called “Helene Relief”. It is available for new and existing Starlink customers, who reside in the destruction zone. To apply for the service, users must choose the “Helene Relief” service plan on the company’s website and check out.

Areas eligible for free internet | source: starlink.com

As Starlink stated on its blog, the service will be free of charge for 30 days. Then, users will be moved to a paid Residential subscription tied to the location of services. The company promises to send a reminder before that happens.

Earlier in October, when replying to a user asking for help, Musk posted on his X account that Starlink is working on this update.

Hurricane Helene is the deadliest hurricane in the mainland US since 2005, counting more than 220 deaths and hundreds unaccounted for.

Earlier this fall, Starlink exceeded four million customers.