Chile has taken a big leap in connectivity — it is now the first country in Latin America to offer Starlink’s “Direct to Cell” satellite-to-mobile service, meaning ordinary smartphones can connect directly to orbiting satellites without needing extra antennas or special hardware. The service is being rolled out via national telecom operator Entel.
What Starlink Direct to Cell Means for Chile
Under the new agreement, Entel customers with compatible phones will now be able to send and receive SMS messages over satellite even in zones where there is zero traditional mobile coverage — from deserts, forests, mountains to remote islands and rural areas.
This effectively turns the entire sky over Chile into an “antenna network,” bringing connectivity to places where coverage was previously impossible.
The initial rollout starts with basic satellite-SMS messaging. According to Entel, customers won’t need any special setup — as long as their phone supports standard LTE/4G or 5G and is compatible, the change happens automatically.
Entel has stated that, for now, the plans eligible for this service start at a certain subscription level (from CLP $12,900).
Why This Is a Big Deal
For decades, many rural, mountainous or remote regions in Chile — like areas of Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, remote islands, or zones of challenging terrain — either had very poor coverage or none at all. With satellite-to-cell connectivity, even these remote areas may now have basic mobile service. That’s a game-changer for:
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Emergency communications: People traveling, hiking or working in remote zones can now send a text or call for help even if no terrestrial signal exists.
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Residents in underserved regions: Citizens living in remote villages, small islands or high-altitude zones may finally gain reliable mobile connectivity.
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Maritime & coastal users: Since the service covers many offshore areas (to a certain nautical-mile limit), fishermen, boaters or remote coastal communities could benefit too.
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Infrastructure leaps: This initiative could narrow the digital divide, bringing modern communications to places where building cell towers or fiber infrastructure would be prohibitively expensive or geographically impractical.
Limitations & What’s Next
At launch, the service is limited to SMS / basic messaging. According to both Starlink and Entel, more advanced capabilities — such as mobile data (internet), voice calls, and richer mobile services — are planned for future rollout.
Because the connection depends on clear skies and satellite visibility, performance may vary — delays of up to several minutes for messages might occur under some conditions.
Compatibility is another factor: not every phone may support the service. Users need LTE/5G-capable devices with certain specs.
But even with these caveats, the rollout represents a major step forward in bridging connectivity gaps across geography.
Chile’s Position on the Global Satellite-to-Mobile Stage
With this launch, Chile becomes not only the first Latin American country, but also the fifth country globally to offer commercial Starlink Direct-to-Cell service, joining nations such as the United States, New Zealand, Japan, and Australia.
That places Chile at the forefront of a new wave of global mobile connectivity — one that’s not dependent on traditional towers but on satellites circling overhead.
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