Chile permits SpaceX’s Starlink
October 25, 2021
By Chris Forrester
Chilean telecoms Secretary of State for Telecommunications regulator Subtel has granted permission for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband-by-satellite system to operate in the country.
Local reports say that Starlink has been testing services and connectivity for “some months”.
Subtel is allowing five satellite ground stations to be established in Caldera, Coquimbo, San Clemente, Puerto Saavedra, and Puerto Montt regions.
The nation’s Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Gloria Hutt, pointed out that “this news reflects the relevance that the country has for the telecommunications industry. For several months, Starlink has shown us its interest in conducting connectivity pilots, which have been successfully carried out in sectors such as Caleta Sierra, Sotomó, and now it is in a position to offer its commercial offer throughout the country. As a Government, we seek to create the conditions so that users can have different connectivity alternatives, with high-speed connections that allow them to access online content anywhere in the country.”
Chile’s Undersecretary of Telecommunications Francisco Moreno was quoted as saying: “We are facing a true milestone in terms of digital inclusion that will provide our users with one more connectivity alternative. From Subtel we promote connectivity by sky, sea, and land, bringing high-speed connections to different areas of our country, allowing students, entrepreneurs, or different productive sectors to be part of the digital revolution …
Furthermore, the interest of companies such as Starlink, Amazon and other low-orbit satellite providers reveals that Chile is an attractive country for investment in telecommunications.”