SpaceX and Starlink owner Elon Musk has announced free Starlink services for communities affected by severe floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The disasters occurred on Saturday (29 November 2025) and caused major disruptions to electricity and telecommunications networks in several districts.
In a statement posted on his personal X account, Musk said that charging people affected by natural disasters would be inappropriate. “SpaceX’s standard policy is to provide free Starlink whenever a natural disaster occurs anywhere in the world,” he wrote on Saturday (29 November).
“It’s not right to profit from disasters,” he added.
Starlink confirmed this policy in a separate statement issued on Friday (28 November). “For those affected by the severe flooding in Indonesia, Starlink is providing free service to new and existing customers until the end of December,” the company said.
“We are also working with the Indonesian government to immediately build terminals and restore connectivity to the worst-affected areas in Sumatra.”
The company also said that free service credits would be available to customers whose accounts were suspended or paused before the disaster.
“After you purchase and activate the service, please create a support ticket specifying ‘Indonesia Flood Support’. You can view your available credits through the billing tab in your account,” the statement added.
According to Starlink, this assistance aims to restore basic communication access in locations where the conventional mobile network remains down. Several districts reported complete isolation after flooding damaged power lines and ground infrastructure.
Police Deploy Starlink Devices to Support Emergency Communications
The North Sumatra Regional Police have begun using Starlink equipment to support communication in areas cut off by the disaster. Officers deployed units to South Tapanuli and North Tapanuli, where telecommunications outages left several villages unreachable. The satellite-based system allows residents to send messages and make calls even when ground networks fail.
In a written update, the police said the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Team had prepared three Starlink devices for rapid response. One device was flown by helicopter to Central Tapanuli to reach remote parts of the regency.
The equipment can operate as a mobile system, enabling officers to relocate it as needed to priority sites.
As reported by detikSumut on Monday (1 December 2025), a video showing residents crying after being able to contact their families went viral on social media. The footage shows several residents attempting to call relatives from an emergency tent. Among them is a woman wearing a hijab who becomes emotional after her call connects.
In a post on Instagram, the Central Tapanuli Police confirmed that the incident occurred at the Pandan Sports Hall, which has been operating as a temporary shelter for evacuees.
“The Central Tapanuli Police provided a Starlink emergency hotline to disaster evacuees in Central Tapanuli. The event was held at the Pandan Sports Hall,” the post caption reads.
Police officers said the hotline allowed people to reach family members outside the affected region at a time when conventional networks were still unavailable. According to the police, this service remains active and will continue to operate while repairs to telecommunications infrastructure are underway.
Meanwhile, authorities across Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra continue to assess the damage. Several districts remain inaccessible due to road blockages and disrupted electricity supply. Local government units and emergency teams are still working to evacuate residents and provide logistical support.
With Starlink’s free access in place until the end of December, emergency teams expect communication to improve in isolated areas.
The government has not yet released an official estimate of how long full repairs will take, but restoration efforts are ongoing in coordination with the police, local authorities, and telecommunications providers.
