Elon Musk announced on Wednesday that SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service would be free over the next month for those living in areas impacted by Hurricane Helene.
The company's website states, "Starlink aims to enable anyone impacted by a natural disaster to be able to access internet connectivity."
'Lawfare costs lives.'
"Starlink terminals will now work automatically without need for payment in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene," Musk wrote on X.
He initially announced plans to make the service free on Tuesday, telling his followers, "We are making a system update to allow all Starlinks in the affected areas to work, regardless of payment. Software update hopefully completed tonight. Tomorrow at the latest."
He stated that SpaceX sent "as many Starlink terminals as possible" to the areas impacted by the hurricane, noting that former President Donald Trump had alerted him to the need earlier this week.
On Monday, Trump told his supporters in Valdosta, Georgia, "I just spoke to Elon. We want to get Starlink hooked up because they have no communication whatsoever. Elon will always come through. We know that."
Now, corporate media outlets are accusing Musk and Trump of taking credit for something the Biden-Harris administration's Federal Emergency Management Agency was reportedly already doing.
A Wednesday press release from FEMA stated that the agency sent 67 Starlinks to North Carolina.
"40 Starlink satellite systems are available to help with responder communications and an additional 140 satellites are being shipped to assist with communications infrastructure restoration," FEMA said, noting that one Starlink would be deployed per county.
In a separate X post, Musk stated that Starlink's services would have been more readily available to those in North Carolina if the Federal Communications Commission had not blocked the company's federal grant. Starlink was set to receive an $885 million award to expand high-speed internet access, connecting more than 640,000 homes and businesses. However, the FCC rescinded the award in 2022, claiming that Starlink could not meet the program's requirements. The agency's decision was reaffirmed in December.
Then, in September, the FCC did an about-face and effectively accused Starlink of having a monopoly.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel stated that Starlink has "almost two-thirds of the satellites that are in space right now and has a very high portion of internet traffic. … Our economy doesn't benefit from monopolies. So we've got to invite many more space actors in, many more companies that can develop constellations and innovations in space."
Musk wrote on X, "Had the FCC not illegally revoked the SpaceX Starlink award, it would probably have saved lives in North Carolina."
"Lawfare costs lives," he declared.
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