Starlink is expected to reach global coverage around September, and the newest country to gain access to the SpaceX internet also marks the first country in Latin America to receive the internet service.
SpaceX has officially selected Chile as the first Latin American country to test its Starlink satellite internet, according to an announcement by the Subsecretariat of Telecommunications (SUBTEL) in Chile on Monday morning, reports Tesmanian (use coupon code TESLANORTH10 to save 10% off floor mats and more).
The low-Earth orbit (LEO) internet was granted an experimental permit for non-commercial use, with a pilot program coordinated between SUBTEL and the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications (MTT).
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SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told SUBTEL officials that “Starlink was designed for remote communities such as Caleta Sierra and Sotomó,” according to a translation of the news.
Shotwell continued, saying that Starlink’s “high-speed connectivity can have a transformative impact on these communities and we are eager to support these pilot programs, starting with local schools.”
Starlink has begun delivering kits to local representatives in both Caleta Sierra (Coquimbo Region) and Sotomó (Los Lagos Region), which include a dish interface, mounting and power hardware, and a Wi-Fi router.
In addition to the Los Lagos and Coquimbo locations, SUBTEL and SpaceX have also shared plans to bring connectivity to more rural regions in the country down the line, and eventually bringing the service to the entire nation.
