Starlink, the satellite broadband provider operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX unit, is making rapid inroads in Latin America.
As of November 2024, Starlink’s services are live in 28 countries/overseas territories in Latin America, with more launches planned for 2025.
One of the most compelling aspects of Starlink’s service is its ability to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity.
Previously, satellite internet services came from single geostationary satellites that orbit the planet at 35,786 km. By contrast, Starlink has a constellation of thousands of satellites orbiting the planet much closer to Earth—at around 550 km—delivering far lower latency.
Its high-speed, low-latency services are useful in a region where many rural localities have poor or non-existent fixed and/or mobile network connectivity. Starlink has also highlighted its potential as a backup network during natural disasters.
Background
SpaceX launched its first 60 Starlink low earth orbit satellites in May 2019.
Starlink started providing a beta service in October 2020 and went live one year later. It hit the one million subscription mark in December 2022, two million in September 2023, and three million in May 2024. Most recently, the group confirmed that it reached four million subscriptions in September 2024.
According to one website that tracks Starlink launches, as of October 31, 2024, there were 6,554 satellites in orbit, with 6,075 in “operational orbit.”
Starlink is optimistic of eventually increasing its mega-constellation to more than 42,000 satellites.
The Big Hitters: Brazil and Mexico
Starlink Brazil Servicos de Internet launched in select regions of Brazil in May 2022, followed by nationwide availability in February 2023.
At launch, Elon Musk disclosed plans to cover 19,000 unconnected schools in rural areas and use the network to monitor the risk of illegal fires and deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
In July 2024, Starlink requested permission from the National Telecommunications Agency (Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes, Anatel) to deploy an additional 7,500 communications satellites.
Starlink was previously authorized to operate 4,408 satellites—all of which are currently in operation—until March 2027.
It is understood that the company has already obtained approval to activate the same satellites from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. As per the regulatory filing, Starlink also seeks to augment its existing Ku-band and Ka-band spectrum holdings with E-band frequencies in the 71GHz-76GHz/81GHz-86GHz band.
According to data from Anatel, Starlink served 264,883 fixed broadband subscriptions in Brazil as of September 30, 2024, up from 114,925 one year earlier.
Starlink served 264,883 fixed broadband subscriptions in Brazil as of September 30, 2024, up from 114,925 one year earlier.
Meanwhile, Starlink lodged its request to operate in Mexico with the Federal Telecommunications Institute (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones, IFT) on April 2, 2021, and received its license on May 28, 2021. As per the terms of its license, Starlink—registered locally as Starlink Satellite Systems Mexico—was obliged to launch commercial services within 180 days. The ten-year concession is extendable for a further ten years.
In October 2023, Starlink was handed a three-year contract valued at MXN887.5 million–MXN1.8 billion by the Federal Electricity Commission (Comision Federal de Electricidad, CFE) to supply rural broadband connectivity across the country. As per government documentation, the contract runs until December 31, 2026. The CFE is in charge of overseeing the state-backed “Internet para Todos” (Internet for Everyone) program.
As of June 30, 2024 Starlink claimed 160,631 subscriptions in Mexico.
As of June 30, 2024 Starlink claimed 160,631 subscriptions in Mexico.
Other Central and South American nations with live Starlink services: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
Caribbean Connectivity
Starlink has also made strong progress in the Caribbean.
The company lodged its request to operate in the Dominican Republic with the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Instituto Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones, Indotel) on January 26, 2022, and received its license on March 16, 2022. It then launched commercial services in July 2022, making the Dominican Republic the first Caribbean nation to receive Starlink connectivity.
As of June 30, 2024, Starlink claimed a total of 17,780 fixed broadband subscriptions in the Dominican Republic.
As of June 30, 2024, Starlink claimed a total of 17,780 fixed broadband subscriptions in the Dominican Republic.
In November 2022, fresh from its Dominican Republic launch, Starlink officially received a license to operate in neighboring Haiti. The company was registered as Starlink Haiti and is permitted to “operate freely in Haiti” using the Ku-band. Starlink equipment can be purchased directly from the company’s website, or obtained by an approved, authorized reseller.
Previously, in July 2022, Conatel authorized SpaceX to commence a two-year pilot program in Haiti. On July 1, 2024, Conatel formally extended Starlink’s license for another five years.
Other Caribbean nations with live Starlink services: the Bahamas, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint-Martin, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Coming Soon
According to the Starlink website, a handful of new LatAm markets are scheduled to go live before the end of 2024, namely: Suriname, Montserrat, and Antigua & Barbuda.
In 2025, Starlink will make a concerted effort to ramp up its presence across the Caribbean, where it already claims partial availability.
Countries earmarked for connectivity next year include: Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Maarten, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is worth noting that Starlink does not currently hold a license in all of these countries, regardless of their status on its website.
In Belize, a consultation recently took place to gauge stakeholder feedback on the potential arrival of Starlink, and received plenty of pushback from the incumbent operators.
Elsewhere, in the Falklands Islands, Batelco-backed Sure Falkland Islands has a communications monopoly until December 31, 2027, meaning Starlink has no real room for maneuver.
That said, earlier this month, the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly accepted a set of recommendations from the Telecommunications Select Committee, aimed at making internet access more accessible through adjustments to VSAT licensing fees and potential Starlink tariffs. The reforms were prompted after more than 2,000 locals signed a petition in support of Starlink.
Dead Air
A handful of Latin American nations have resisted the lure of Elon Musk’s satellite broadband services. Notably, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela—whose respective governments have their own motivations to remain wary of giving citizens unfiltered access to Starlink.
A handful of Latin American nations have resisted the lure of Elon Musk’s satellite broadband services—notably, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.
In August 2024, the Bolivian authorities blocked Starlink’s attempt to get an operating license. While the details remain unclear, several government documents have been leaked on social media, shedding light on the situation.
Last month, official paperwork shared on X revealed that National Deputy Mariela Baldivieso requested a report from the Minister of Telecommunications regarding the specific reasons and processes behind the decision to disallow Starlink a license—as well as the regulations applied to justify this decision.
The Cayman Islands has also thrown a wrench in Starlink’s plans. In August 2024, watchdog OfReg banned the sale of Starlink terminals in the country due to its lack of a license.
Users were allegedly signing up for Jamaican service plans to circumvent the lack of official availability—only to force the government’s hand, and see the service blocked altogether.
