Following criticism, the company issued a new offer that extends the free service through the end of the year for victims of both hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Musk declared on X that all Starlink terminals would work automatically “without [the] need for payment in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene.”

FEMA said it was providing Starlink devices to help first responders communicate. Residents affected by flooding can use the service, too.

Elon Musk's Starlink is connecting rural healthcare in Rwanda and aiding disaster recovery in the U.S., with plans to expand to India.

After facing backlash over fees, SpaceX is improving its Starlink offer for hurricane victims by extending free service through the end of 2024 to help with recovery efforts.

Elon Musk pledged to send Starlink terminals to victims of Hurricane Helene and allow them 30 days' worth of free access to his satellite-based internet service. But the SpaceX CEO failed to mention it will cost users more than $400 for the system's hardware.

Elon Musk pledged he will make the internet available for free on his Starlink satellite service for victims of Hurricane Helene, but failed to note that would-be users will have to shell out $400 for hardware to support it.