SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, USA, June 5, 2025.
Daniel Cole | Reuters
Elon Musk’s Starlink is offering free broadband internet service to users in Venezuela until February 3, following U.S. airstrikes and the detention of ousted leader Nicolas Maduro.
The satellite internet provider said in a release Sunday that it is actively adding service credits to both active and inactive accounts while monitoring changing circumstances and regulatory requirements.
“There is no schedule (yet) for local purchase availability, but if there is an update, we will notify you directly through official Starlink channels,” it added.
Starlink, a subsidiary of aerospace company SpaceX, provides internet access through low-orbit satellites, but users must purchase separate equipment to connect to the service.
The availability map on Starlink’s website lists Venezuela as “coming soon,” suggesting the company has not officially launched its service in the country, despite showing some users are already active.
Expanding free internet services in the country could help provide connectivity in the aftermath of recent U.S. airstrikes and a ground raid to capture and extradite President Maduro for trial on charges including narco-terrorism and election fraud.
Washington’s operation on January 3 primarily targeted areas in Venezuela’s capital Caracas, with the states of Miranda, Aragua and Araguaira also hit, according to a government statement.
Reports after the airstrike said areas in Caracas lost power and internet connectivity. Some local broadcasters also reported power outages in Miranda over the weekend.
US President Donald Trump has said the US will oversee Venezuela’s transition, but details remain unclear due to concerns about a power vacuum.
The president announced Saturday that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez had taken office after Maduro’s arrest, but threatened to launch a second attack on Venezuela if the leadership did not “act.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting on January 6 to discuss the legality of the US action, as countries including US allies such as Brazil and Spain condemn the military action.
Venezuela is far from the first conflict zone where Starlink was deployed. A similar case is in Ukraine, where satellite services were introduced to replace internet and communications networks damaged by Russian aggression.
Initially, Starlink primarily provided internet services in Ukraine at its own expense, but since June 2023 its operations have been funded through a contract with the US Department of Defense.
Starlink has not disclosed the number of users in Venezuela or the cost of providing the service.
