SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday that the company will provide free Starlink terminals to areas affected by wildfires in Los Angeles.
What Happened: “SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals to affected areas in LA tomorrow morning,” Musk said on his social media platform X, without elaborating on numbers. The billionaire CEO was responding to footage from Fox 11 where the on-ground reporter said that they are using Starlink to broadcast their live coverage of the wildfires due to the lack of cell service.
South California has been battling multiple wildfires over the last few days. Since the start of the new year, there have over over 55 wildfires in the region, prompting the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. The Palisades fire, which started on Tuesday, is spread across over 17,000 acres in Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Over 7500 personnel, 1162 fire engines, 6 air tankers, and multiple helicopters have been deployed to fight the wildfires, California Governor Gavin Newsom said.
As per a recent report from Forbes, the death toll due to the fires has increased to five.
Why It Matters: This is not the first time that Starlink has offered a helping hand in times of crisis.
In October, SpaceX offered free Starlink service for those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Hurricane Milton until the end of the year. Starlink and T-Mobile US Inc. then also activated their Direct-to-Cell coverage to provide emergency alerts for all phones and telecommunications carriers in areas affected by the hurricanes.
The satellite internet segment of SpaceX achieved a breakeven cash flow in November 2023 and continues to be a money-making segment for SpaceX. Earlier this month, the company said that Starlink now has over 4.6 million customers in over 118 countries, territories, and other markets.
“We are going to make some money on Starlink this year. But ultimately I think Starship (the company's new rocket under development) will be the thing that takes us over the top as one of the most valuable companies,” SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell said at a conference hosted by Baron Capital in November. However, Shotwell refused to divulge more of the private company’s financials.
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