Starlink is partnering with the Biden administration to offer 30 days of free Starlink internet to survivors of Hurricane Helene

Starlink is deploying about 500 Starlink kits in the Appalachian Mountains, the region most devastated by Hurricane Helene. In collaboration with the Biden administration, Elon Musk is offering satellite internet service free to everyone in the destruction zone for 30 days.

On October 1, Musk tweeted that SpaceX was forcing a system update so that “all Starlinks in affected areas will function regardless of payment.”

Both new and existing customers can use free Starlink internet for 30 days as long as they live in the Hurricane Helene destruction zone. You can check if your county is eligible for free internet service by entering your address here.

Starlink provides detailed instructions on its Hurricane Helene Relief page for new and existing customers, as well as existing customers activating kits from a retailer.

According to a government press release, FEMA and Starlink have worked together since Oct. 2 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.”

Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm and devastated the Appalachian Mountains with flooding, landslides and power outages. Free Internet efforts from Spectrum and Starlink provide an essential lifeline for those who do not yet have internet and cell service.