Starlink, which is a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, is providing free internet access for 30 days to those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Here’s how to get free access to Starlink internet and why the gesture, which looks noble on the face of it, is becoming yet another controversy for Musk.

The satellite internet company said that “Starlink aims to enable anyone impacted by a natural disaster to be able to access internet connectivity.” It added, “For those in areas that were impacted by Hurricane Helene, Starlink is available and temporarily offering free service for the first month.”

Notably, in August, Musk said that Starlink will provide free emergency service access for mobile phones across the world – subject to approval from respective governments, and the recent announcement is seen in that light.

Hurricane Helene Caused Extensive Damage

Hurricane Helene ravaged six states in the southeast and has left behind a trail of destruction with over 200 dead and many missing. Helene became the deadliest hurricane to hit the United States mainland since 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the surrounding area.

Around half of the deaths have been reported from North Carolina which is the worst affected by the natural disaster. Due to the damage caused by Helene, several people are still without electricity, phone connectivity, and internet. Not having a means of communication can be devastating for families who have either lost or are searching for their loved ones. Lack of proper communication channels can also hamper relief efforts so Starlink providing free connectivity should help support local communities as well as relief workers.

Starlink is the world’s first satellite constellation that uses a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet. Unlike traditional internet service providers that use cables, Starlink uses radio signals through space to beam the internet.

Since Starlink does not use cables, it can be better than broadband companies during natural disasters which can destroy the physical infrastructure. According to Starlink, it “is designed and tested to handle a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions including snow, hail, sleet, heavy rain, and extreme heat.”

It however adds, “Starlink is not designed to handle hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, meteors, dinosaurs, or other extreme forces of nature.”

That said, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has used Starlink during natural disasters in the past. The agency says, “One of FEMA’s tools for emergency communications is Starlink, a mobile unit that allows customers high-speed internet by connecting to satellites.”

It adds, “Because the unit is portable and weighs less than 15 pounds, FEMA can deliver it to the areas that need it most, bringing connectivity to over 100 users.”

To be sure, Starlink internet access could be a boon for the areas affected by the Helene hurricane as many are still cut off from phone and internet connectivity.

If you are not a Starlink customer, you need to go to the company’s website, enter your address, and then click on order now. You then need to select the “Helene Relief” service plan that shows payment as $0 and then check out. Notably, the areas that have been affected by the Helene Hurricane would only show the “Helene Relief” plan. However, if you believe that the plan does not show in your area despite it being affected by the hurricane, you can contact Starlink support to report the error.

If you have already purchased a kit from the retailer and are trying to activate it, you can still claim the free 30-month period. For that, you need to enter the Starlink identifier on the activate page then enter your address to search, post which you need to select “residential. Finally, you need to select the “Helene Relief” service plan and check out.

Existing Starlink customers can also get service free for 30 days by creating a support ticket requesting a Helene relief credit. If Starlink evaluates that you are in an area affected by the hurricane, it would provide you the service free for 30 days. However, after 30 days, Starlink will move you to a paid residential subscription after notifying you ahead of the completion of the free period.

Meanwhile, like most things Musk, even Starlink’s decision to provide free service to those affected by the Helene Hurricane has not been without its share of controversies.

Musk Insinuates That He Provided Free Connectivity After Trump Alerted Him

Musk has insinuated that he provided free Starlink connectivity to areas affected by Helene on Trump’s advice. “Earlier today, @realDonaldTrump alerted me to additional people who need Starlink Internet in North Carolina. We are sending them terminals right away,” said the billionaire on X – a company that he owns.

Trump, who is running against Kamala Harris in the upcoming US presidential elections confirmed that he spoke with Musk about the issue. “We want to get Starlink hooked up, because they have no communication whatsoever. Elon will always come through, we know that,” said the former president.

However, the Biden administration has countered Musk and said that Starlink deliveries were already in place in the affected areas. Notably, over the last couple of years, Musk has been warming up to conservatives – even as many believe it is hurting Tesla’s sales – and has emerged as among the biggest backers of Trump.

This is not Starlink’s first controversy. The company initially supplied free satellite communications service to Ukraine amid its war with Russia. Musk however threatened to stop the service saying Starlink was losing $20 million every month in providing the free service to the country.

Musk, who received criticism over his suggestion that Ukraine agree to Russian sovereignty over Crimea, soon relented and said that the company would continue providing the service. Subsequently, the US Department of Defense started paying for the service through a contract with SpaceX.

All said, while Starlink offering free internet connectivity to the areas affected by Helene is laudable, it has also got embroiled in partisan politics. But then, with a charged-up political climate ahead of the upcoming elections where Trump and Harris are running almost neck to neck with polls showing Harris having an upper hand, such discourse over a natural calamity is hardly surprising.