People in Venezuela will be offered free broadband internet services by Starlink, an offer which lasts until the 3rd of February. This move comes as the country grapples with political upheaval and infrastructure disruptions following recent US military action.
The Elon Musk-owned satellite broadband provider said the initiative is “ensuring continued connectivity” for people in Venezuela. Free service credits are being automatically applied to both active and inactive accounts, allowing existing users to remain online or reactivate paused services without charge.
While Venezuela remains listed as “coming soon” on Starlink’s availability map, the company confirmed that users with existing hardware can access the service via a roaming plan.
The move follows US airstrikes and a ground operation that led to the arrest of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on 3 January, causing power and internet outages in parts of Caracas and surrounding states, CNBC reported.
Starlink said it is “actively monitoring evolving conditions and regulatory requirements”, adding there is currently no timeline for when local purchasing options will become available.
Marko Papic, macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, told CNBC it is “highly likely” that Starlink services will be rolled out for free in countries where the US “is involved in an antagonistic relationship with the regime. Starlink allows internet to be provided by non-state companies in authoritarian regimes,” he stated, arguing that this will become increasingly common.
Starlink previously deployed its low-Earth orbit satellite service in Ukraine in 2022 to restore connectivity after Russia’s invasion damaged networks across the country. Meanwhile in Iran, thousands of users have reportedly accessed unfiltered internet via Starlink despite the service not being officially approved.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: StarLink