CNT launches Starlink Mobile direct-to-cell service across Ecuador
SpaceX · CNT
Ecuador's state carrier CNT switched on Starlink's direct-to-cell service, branded SatPower, reaching 82.4% of national territory at launch.
what happened
State telecom operator CNT partnered with Starlink to launch a direct-to-cell satellite service branded SatPower across Ecuador on September 29, per Primicias and TeslaNorth. CNT general manager Ronald Spina said the service addresses persistent connectivity gaps in the country; Primicias reported initial coverage of 82.4% of national territory, reaching up to 12 nautical miles offshore, the Andes mountains and the Amazon rainforest on compatible phones with no extra hardware. The service currently supports messaging and app access, with some apps, including WhatsApp and Google Maps, and SMS not yet supported, per Primicias. Ecuador is the third Latin American country to get the service, after Chile and Peru.
why it matters
Ecuador extends Starlink's now-standard playbook of pairing with a national carrier for direct-to-cell rollouts across Latin America rather than selling the service on its own, giving CNT a connectivity offering in terrain historically unreachable by terrestrial towers. Each new market adds to Starlink's direct-to-cell subscriber base and sharpens the competitive pressure on regional mobile operators and rival direct-to-device players such as AST SpaceMobile and Lynk chasing the same underserved-coverage niche.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- SpaceX, CNT
- Category
- product
- Impact
- noise
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-09-29
- Published
- 2026-09-30 05:27 UTC