Elon Musk's lucrative Starlink satellite internet service will be free for one month in Venezuela. But for new customers, there's a catch.Starlink, the satellite internet service that is a lucrative part of tech entrepreneur Elon Musk's business empire, will be free to people in Venezuela as the country recovers from the devastation caused by twin deadly earthquakes.Since SpaceX, which Musk founded, began amassing the orbital satellite constellation in 2019, Starlink has become known for providing service to areas around the world where internet access is often elusive. It's also become common for Musk to make Starlink service available for free in areas where people are reeling from natural disasters and other threats.Making the service free assists in response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of things like hurricanes and earthquakes, Musk has said. But the move has at times faced criticism from those who point out that new customers still must purchase Starlink receivers to access the service.Here's everything to know about Starlink, and how first-responders and residents in Venezuela can use the service.SpaceX offers Starlink for free amid Venezuela earthquakesStarlink stated in a post on social media site X, which Musk owns, that it would provide free service through July 25 for new and existing customers in Venezeula.The move comes after the South American nation was struck June 24 by two devastating earthquakes, which occurred within one minute of each other with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5. While the confirmed death toll stands at more than 1,400, as of Monday, June 29, officials estimate that the tally could climb to 10,000 people.Starlink is also working to deploy terminals to the hardest-hit zones to help restore communications, according to the company.The internet service, powered by a constellation of thousands of satellites in orbit, has increasingly become an important tool in the wake of natural disasters when other communications infrastructure can become damaged.New customers still must purchase kitsWhile the Starlink service may be free, new customers will still need to purchase a receiver, or kit, to access the internet.The company said through its support page that active customers in impacted areas in Venezuela will automatically receive credits on their accounts. Customers who previously canceled their accounts will also receive credits that allow them to reactivate connections.Starlink said new customers who buy a satellite kit from one of three approved vendors in Venezuela can contact customer support to receive free service through July 25.What is Starlink?Starlink is SpaceX's lucrative orbital satellite internet business.SpaceX bills itself as the only satellite internet provider with its own reusable rocket – its two-stage, 230-foot Falcon 9 – capable of deploying the technology.After services first became available about five years ago, more than 7 million people in 150 countries now use the internet service, SpaceX said as recently as October.The satellites operate in low-Earth orbit, where they circle Earth at a lower altitude nearer the atmosphere, offering higher connection speeds than satellites further out in space. That means the satellites are equipped to make internet service accessible in rural areas and other regions that have been traditionally harder to reach.How many Starlink satellites are in space?Since the first launch in 2019 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Starlink has grown into a constellation of more than 10,700 satellites in space.Today, SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket regularly deploys Starlink satellites into orbit from Florida – at both NASA's Kennedy Space Center and also the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station – as well as California. The first West Coast launch from the Vandenberg Space Force Base came in 2021, a Vandenberg spokesperson previously told the USA TODAY Network.SpaceX also plans for its larger Starship rocket to deploy even bigger Starlink satellites to space.Many observers and analysts believe SpaceX has a goal of deploying about 30,000 Starlink satellites into orbit within the next five years – though the company still requires regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission to do so.Elon Musk provides Starlink services during unrest, natural disastersThis is far from the first time Starlink has been made free during an emergency situation.For instance, Starlink was recently offered to residents of Jamaica and the Bahamas in October 2025 when Hurricane Melissa barreled through the region. Starlink was also recently offered to residents of Texas in July 2025 amid deadly flooding, and to customers across Florida and other impacted states in 2024 during Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.SpaceX has also routinely provided Starlink services in the past in regions marked by unrest or conflict, including in Ukraine amid the prolonged war with Russia, and in Iran amid protests and an internet blackout in January.Contributing: Marc Ramirez, USA TODAYEric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com