Starlink is offering relief to LA residents displaced or left in the dark by the destructive wildfires, which have caused mass communication outages. However, those residents will still need to get their hands on a Starlink terminal.
Free Starlink for Those Affected by L.A. Wildfires
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Map of the Los Angeles area showing where residents can qualify for a free month of Starlink service | Image by Starlink
Starlink is responding to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles by offering affected residents free Starlink kits and 30 days of free service. According to the Associated Press, as of Thursday, January 9, the fires had destroyed thousands of buildings and displaced more than 100,000 people. The fires have left even more people without power or cellular service.
Current customers in the affected areas are also eligible for a free month of service. Starlink also claims it will replace customers’ damaged dishes.
“SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals to affected areas in LA tomorrow morning,” SpaceX and Starlink founder Elon Musk posted on X.
Details about how Los Angeles residents can get the free equipment weren't immediately shared. However, Starlink has updated its site to allow new users to sign up for free service by purchasing a kit from the website or activating a kit they obtained.
New customers without a kit will still need to pay $349 for the Starlink kit. According to Starlink, after the free 30 days, the customer will be moved to the paid Residential plan ($120 monthly). It does offer a 30-day return policy if you're unhappy with the service or your primary internet service returns.
Starlink created a similar program for residents affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in October.
How to get 30 free days of Starlink
The option for Disaster Relief should appear for new customers who live in the qualifying area. | Image by Starlink
New customers need to select the Disaster Relief option for service at the checkout screen for a new kit. The option will only appear to customers if the address they entered is in the qualifying areas. Check the map above to see if you live in the affected region.
“If you do not see the $0 option, your area is not eligible. If you believe this is in error, please let us know by contacting support,” according to the program’s support page.
Customers who obtain a new kit from anywhere besides Starlink’s website can get the free 30 days by following these instructions:
- Go to starlink.com/activate
- Enter your Starlink kit identifier
- Enter your address, click search
- Select "Residential"
- Select the "Disaster Relief" service plan and check out
- Repeat for each kit if adding more than one
Current customers need not take action, as Starlink will automatically apply a service credit to their accounts if their address is in the qualifying area. However, current customers needing to replace their dishes can apply for relief by submitting a support ticket to Starlink.
Need help installing your new Starlink kit? You can do it in just 30 minutes.
