Chile has officially become the first country in Latin America to offer Starlink Direct to Cell, with national carrier Entel rolling out satellite-powered mobile connectivity across the country. The launch marks a major expansion of SpaceX’s satellite-to-phone network, and Entel customers can start using the service today to send and receive SMS messages in areas with no traditional mobile coverage.
According to Entel, Starlink Direct to Cell now provides satellite coverage across most of mainland Chile — excluding Antarctica and the Chilean Atlantic territory — extending up to 12 nautical miles offshore. The service works without any special antennas or hardware. Customers simply need a compatible 4G or 5G phone with roaming and VoLTE enabled. In places without standard cellular service, they’ll see “Entel SpaceX” appear as their operator.
This initial rollout focuses on text messaging, with internet browsing and data expected to arrive in 2026. Entel notes that performance can vary based on location and sky visibility, and messages may sometimes experience delays. The service is included with Entel’s 150 GB, 450 GB, and Entel Black plans.
The launch mirrors similar Starlink-powered offerings already live in the U.S. and Canada. T-Mobile began commercially offering its T-Satellite service in July, starting with satellite texting and expanding to data last month. Rogers has also been piloting satellite texting in Canada since July, giving Chile’s deployment notable company among early adopters of Starlink’s direct-to-phone technology.
Starlink Direct to Cell is expanding globally as well. The service debuted in Europe this week through a launch in Ukraine, and it will power Virgin Media O2’s upcoming satellite mobile service in the U.K., scheduled for early 2026. Starlink currently has around 650 Direct to Cell satellites in orbit, comprising its first-generation constellation. SpaceX is seeking FCC approval to deploy up to 15,000 next-generation Direct to Cell satellites to dramatically boost coverage and capacity.
SpaceX also plans to begin testing Direct to Cell on wireless spectrum it recently agreed to acquire from EchoStar in a $17 billion deal, with trials set for 2026. As global carriers bet on satellite networks to eliminate coverage gaps, Chile has now stepped firmly into the future of mobile connectivity.
