Panama’s +Móvil has switched on Starlink Mobile satellite texting for free for all of its customers after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit the country on Friday, letting people send SMS from places where the cell network has gone quiet.
Starlink confirmed the move on X at 4:18 PM PT, saying Starlink Mobile is providing nationwide emergency connectivity to +Móvil customers so “families, communities and businesses can stay in touch with loved ones via SMS.”
Starlink Mobile is providing nationwide emergency connectivity to @MasMovilPanama customers in Panama. Families, communities and businesses can stay in touch with loved ones via SMS. Coverage works best with a clear view of the sky 🛰︋📱
— Starlink (@Starlink) October 9, 2026
The quake struck at 12:56 PM local time (10:56 AM PT), according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which put it about 12 km west-southwest of Pitaloza Arriba at a shallow depth of roughly 13 km. A string of strong aftershocks followed through the afternoon, including a magnitude 6.6 about two and a half hours later.
In its own post, +Móvil said the free satellite messaging works nationwide in areas without regular cell coverage, on both Android and iPhone, for 48 hours, from Friday, October 9 to Sunday, October 11. Starlink added the usual caveat: it works best with a clear view of the sky.
The timing is notable. +Móvil only launched Starlink Mobile in Panama in mid-September, aimed at rural, mountain and island areas, with iPhone support listed for December. Less than a month later, the carrier has opened it to every customer, free of charge.
It has been a busy day for Starlink Mobile in Latin America. Brazil’s regulator approved its full 2 GHz access this afternoon, and Venezuela’s Conatel cleared Starlink nationwide earlier today.
What we don’t know yet: Panama’s government and civil protection agency SINAPROC haven’t published damage or casualty figures that we could confirm, and neither company has said how many people have used the service or whether the free window could be extended.
When the towers go down, a text that says “I’m okay” is the one that matters most. For a lot of families in Panama tonight, that text is going through space.
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