State telco Hondutel and satellite communications company Starlink signed an agreement under which the latter will provide connectivity to rural areas in Honduras.
The service will first be provided in the Moskitia area and “will be tested in places where there is no cell coverage,” El Heraldo newspaper quoted Hondutel head José Antonio Morales as saying. Five antennas to carry out the tests will arrive next week.
Honduras becomes the second Central American country after El Salvador to contract Starlink services. Starlink also plans to launch in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama this year.
Providing broadband services is part of Hondutel’s crisis plan. At the end of last year, congress authorized the company to borrow 300mn lempiras (US$11.9mn) from private players to pay for a voluntary retirement plan, local press reported.
In 1Q23, Hondutel registered a loss of 68.2mn lempiras, according to the financial report.
Source: https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/honduran-state-telco-contracts-starlink-satellite-services