Starlink's Twitter account declared last week, in a post with tens of millions of views, that "Starlink is now free for 30 days." The world's richest man, with a net worth of approximately $260 billion, followed up by saying, in quite the PR coup, that all Starlink terminals would now work automatically "without [the] need for payment in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene."
But try to sign up for the ostensibly "free" service in an area Starlink has designated as a Helene disaster zone, and surprise: You still have to pay for the terminal (normally $350, but reportedly discounted to $299 for disaster relief, though that's not reflected in Starlink's signup page), plus shipping and tax, bringing the grand total to just shy of $400.
You can see for yourself in the video below; putting in the address of city hall in Boone, North Carolina, one of the areas wrecked by the lethal super storm, shows folks recovering from the disaster are still expected to pay hundreds for that that free, month-long Starlink service. Though better than nothing at all, it is not quite the humanitarian aid it was promoted and heralded as.
How to apply for free Starlink service
If you don’t have a Starlink kit but you need one, visit
Starlink and enter your address. From there, click Order Now, and you’ll see a Helene Relief option at checkout, with a link telling you what will happen after your 30 days are up. You’ll have to pay $299 for the kit plus taxes, and you may have to wait a week or two for delivery.
If you already have a kit, access the deal by visiting
https://www.starlink.com/activate. You’ll need your unique Starlink Identifier if it’s new, or will need to complete a
transfer process if it’s been used before. Follow the onscreen instructions and look for the Helene Relief option at checkout.
If you are already a Starlink customer, you may be eligible for the free month of service, but you’ll need to put in a support ticket to request it.
https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/starlink-offers-free-internet-hurricane-helene