RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This week SpaceX updated the service availability map. Brazil is now officially among the countries served. Or rather, a part of Brazil is.
Starlink’s internet service is now officially available in 32 countries with the update. In Brazil, the current coverage involves a large part of Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and some areas of Minas Gerais.
Rio Grande do Sul appears with coverage planned for the end of this semester. In Espírito Santo and cities in the north of Minas Gerais, including Montes Claros, the Starlink network is expected to be available by the end of 2022.
Parts of Paraná, such as Cascavel and Maringá, are scheduled for the first quarter of 2023. The same goes for cities like Presidente Prudente and Araçatuba, in São Paulo.
For the other regions of Brazil, SpaceX indicates that the service will begin to be offered in the first quarter of 2023.
THE SERVICE IS AVAILABLE BUT COSTS A LOT
A simulation for contracting in São Paulo City, for example, shows that the installation kit (with antenna) costs R$3,000 (US$593) plus R$365 for freight. The monthly fee charged by Starlink is R$530. And these values do not include taxes.
It is worth remembering that the Starlink network is focused on regions that are not well served by traditional telecommunications services, such as rural areas or those far from large urban centers.
Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) has only approved the first generation of the Starlink antenna. The second generation, with a rectangular shape and smaller dimensions, has not yet been approved for use in the national territory, and there is no forecast for when it will be.
STARLINK COVERAGE GLOBALLY
The United States has the largest coverage of the Starlink network today. Some countries in Europe, such as Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, and the UK, have almost full territorial coverage.
The service is not yet offered in Africa, East Asia, and parts of Europe, but these regions are also planned for 2023.
Only territories with political restrictions are off Elon Musk’s company’s radar, such as Russia, China, and Afghanistan.