Venezuela Allows Elon Musk's Starlink Internet To Operate In Country

Venezuela has authorized Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service to operate in the country, formally lifting a ban put in place under ousted president Nicolas Maduro, a fierce critic of the tech billionaire.

The National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) announced on Friday that it had granted seven licenses to SpaceX's Venezuela subsidiary to operate the Starlink service throughout the country.

Before the formal authorization, an estimated 3.6 percent of internet users in Venezuela were already accessing the web through Starlink, according to APNIC data.

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Nicolas Maduro, before his capture in a US military operation in January, railed against Musk with a publicity campaign that caricatured the South African-born tycoon, whose X social media platform was also banned, as a demonic figure.

Authorities in Venezuela arrested individuals selling Starlink antennas following Maduro's contested reelection in 2024.

Musk announced shortly after Maduro's capture in January 2026 that the Starlink service would be free for a month for Venezuelan users.

Starlink resumed offering free services after the devastating twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24, to support recovery efforts in La Guaira, the hardest-hit area.

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US sanctions on Venezuela before Maduro's capture had also prevented Starlink from operating in the country, according to Andres Azpurua, director of VE Sin Filtro, an NGO dedicated to promoting digital freedom.

After Maduro's fall, Starlink executives "felt they would no longer face problems on the US side and began to move more openly in Venezuela. But the local regulatory problem still existed," Azpurua said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)