SpaceX headquarters is shown in Hawthorne, California, U.S. June 5, 2025.
Daniel Cole | Reuters
Elon Musk’s Starlink is offering free broadband internet service to users in Venezuela through Feb. 3, following U.S. airstrikes and the capture of ousted leader Nicolas Maduro.
The satellite internet provider said in a release on Sunday that service credits were being added proactively to both active and inactive accounts as it monitored evolving conditions and regulatory requirements.
“While we do [not yet have] a timeline for local purchase availability, if and when there are updates they will be communicated directly through official Starlink channels,” it added.
Starlink, which is a subsidiary of aerospace company SpaceX, provides internet access through low-earth-orbit satellites and requires users to purchase separate equipment to connect to the service.
Starlink’s availability map on its website lists Venezuela as “coming soon,” suggesting the company had not formally launched service there, despite indicating that some users were already active.
A ramp-up of free internet services in the country could help provide connectivity amid the fallout of recent U.S. airstrikes and a ground raid to capture and extradite Maduro for trial on allegations including narco-terrorism and election rigging.
Washington’s operations on Jan. 3 mostly targeted areas in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, with the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira also attacked, according to a government statement.
Following the airstrikes, reports indicated that areas of Caracas had lost power and internet connectivity. Some local outlets also reported outages in Miranda over the weekend.
U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that the U.S. would oversee Venezuela’s transition, though details remain unclear amid concerns over a power vacuum.
The president also announced Saturday that Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in after Maduro’s arrest, but has threatened a second strike on Venezuela if the leadership didn’t “behave.”
Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council plans to hold a meeting on Jan. 6 to discuss the legality of U.S. action, as countries, including U.S. allies such as Brazil and Spain, have condemned the military actions.
Venezuela is far from the first conflict zone in which Starlink has been deployed. In a similar case in Ukraine, the satellite service was rolled out to replace internet and communication networks damaged by Russia’s invasion.
While Starlink had initially provided internet services in Ukraine largely at its own expense, its operations have been funded under a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense since June 2023.
Starlink did not disclose how many users it has in Venezuela or the cost of providing the service.
