Chile add a new relevant actor in its fight to close the digital divide that affects thousands of homes. Starlink, a company owned by South African businessman Elon Musk, will begin its pioneering satellite internet operations in Chile, making the country the first in Latin America on the list of this giant of technological innovation.
Starlink arises as a project of SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturing and transportation company, with the aim of putting into orbit a constellation of satellites capable of offering high-speed and low-latency internet to all corners of the world, thus allowing, for example, to connect to land vehicles, boats, airplanes and remote locations to which providing connectivity is a challenge due to the limits of the land infrastructure.
The arrival of Starlink arises after the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications (MTT), through the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (SUBTEL), explored with the company the technical feasibility of conducting pilot tests of a social nature in rural and / or isolated communities with digital connectivity problems. For the development of these projects, SUBTEL delivered an experimental permit to the company for the non-commercial use of the service.
The public-private coordination will allow the arrival of satellite internet to schools in the towns of Caleta Sierra (Coquimbo Region) and Sotomó (Los Lagos Region). During this first stage (beta phase), Starlink promises a download potential that ranges from 50 to 150 Mb / s, with a latency (time it takes to send data from one point to the next) of 20 to 40 milliseconds. A sufficient offer for activities related to teleworking, entertainment and education.
To establish the connection in these locations, Starlink will deliver satellite kits that will allow free internet services for one year. After this time, it was agreed that the cost will be absorbed by the municipalities.
"Closing the digital divide in Chile requires innovation and that implies that we open ourselves to the implementation of new technologies that complement those already present in the country, such as fiber optic networks and 5G," said the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Gloria Hutt. “Sometimes our geography makes the deployment of traditional broadband networks complex. For this reason, we are proud that the Starlink company has chosen Chile as a pioneer country in Latin America to begin the deployment of its satellite internet project, providing capacity and high-speed connectivity to two locations in the country, "he added.
Meanwhile, the Undersecretary of Telecommunications, Francisco Moreno, indicated that "the start of the Starlink service in Chile will mark a before and after as regards the Government's work to reduce the existing digital gap in the country." As he indicated, “our work has yielded very concrete results and in these almost 4 years of government we have seen the growth of Chilean households with fixed internet, going from 45% to 62% of penetration of this service. Without a doubt, these are great advances, but the goal is very ambitious, which is why today we are giving way to Starlink services as a concrete alternative to improve the quality of life of thousands of compatriots who live in extreme and / or rural locations. of the country, which do not have the opportunity to access a quality internet ”.
The arrival of Starlink means a boost to economic development for those isolated areas that have not yet achieved the benefits of a high-speed internet connection. In this sense, according to the Minister of Economy, Lucas Palacios, “through this operation, access to better connectivity of rural or geographically isolated sectors is democratized, integrating them. This has a huge impact on being able to enable different productive areas and connect thousands of compatriots who will no longer require cables to send and receive information, which is a key advance in the digital advancement process that our country is experiencing and that our government is promoting. ”.
In the opinion of the Undersecretary of Economy, Julio Pertuze, “this is a fundamental step so that each town and each community in our country has the possibility of connecting with the rest of the world. When we talk about the post-pandemic future, we cannot project it without cross-cutting connectivity that allows both productive sectors and citizens to develop wherever they are ”.
Gwynne Shotwell, president and director of operations of SpaceX, indicated that "Starlink was designed for remote communities such as Caleta Sierra and Sotomó." In this sense, he assured that "high-speed connectivity can have a transformative impact on these communities and we are eager to support these pilot programs, starting with local schools," he added.
In addition to the two locations that will start the project, Starlink and Subtel are making progress in adding new areas to this service, which in the future plans to cover the entire national territory.