As Elon Musk likes to do whenever disaster hits somewhere in the world, Hurricane Helene was another opportunity to show off his generosity and make himself part of the news. This time, Musk made headlines with a promise that SpaceX Starlink would be free for 30 days to help in places where fiber and cellular infrastructure might have been knocked offline. More than 200 people have been identified as dead in the disaster.

But the catch is that it’s really not free at all. It really looks like not much more than a glorified new-customer promotion.

For one, anyone interested in taking up the offer still has to pay approximately $400 for the dish itself (including shipping and tax) and they’re getting automatically rolled into a $120 per-month contract when the free month ends.

  • funkless_eck
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    25
    ·
    16 hours ago

    your questions are a clue about why other companies are not offering subscription discounts in response to a hurricane.

    how many hello fresh boxes would be good for a hurricane? how many months subscription to chess.com? how many free sessions at a planet fitness of your choosing?