Spotlight: The Entel-Starlink mobile coverage agreement

Chilean operator Entel was the first company in the region to sign an agreement regarding Starlink's direct-to-cell service, which allows access to basic connectivity in areas where mobile terrestrial coverage is not available.

“One of the great advantages of this proposal is that it will work using the same 4G VoLTE phones that exist in the market today. It does not require any special equipment or special software,” Entel network manager Luis Uribe told BNamericas. “This is an important advantage over traditional satellite solutions,” he added.

The deal was announced last week, and the service will be accessible in Chile and Peru.

Uribe said millions of phones that support this technology are operating in Chile.

Direct-to-cell allows text, voice and data services to be offered through low orbit constellations. Starlink plans to launch the first direct-to-cell satellites in 2024 and start providing messaging services by the end of that year, with voice and data transmissions to follow in 2025.

“It is a technology that is still evolving, it is being developed,” said Uribe. “We are going to explore [use cases] as [the technology] advances,” he added.

Although Entel’s mobile networks cover 98% of the populations of Chile and Peru, the Starlink deal will allow it to provide services in maritime territory or in areas that suffered natural disasters.

“It is a technology that has enormous potential as a result of its ability to cover areas that traditional networks cannot achieve,” Uribe said.

A so-called line of sight between device and satellite is required for direct-to-cell to work, meaning the technology might not work indoors or in dense forests. If available, terrestrial coverage will be prioritized.

Starlink is a pioneer in providing fixed broadband services through low-orbit satellite networks, which helped it to gain an advantage in the development of direct-to-cell technology.

While other companies are developing similar solutions, they are not as advanced. “We see other solutions that also look interesting. To the extent that these do not involve special software or devices, they could be an option,” said Uribe.

OTHER TECHNOLOGIES

Entel is also focused on 5G deployment, achieving a first-stage goal of connecting 270 localities from Arica in the north to Puerto Williams in the south in August.

The company is investing US$350mn in the entire deployment program.

In October, the company enabled NB-IoT at over 6,500 sites to boost connectivity for Internet of Things devices.

“From the point of view of the company's internal processes, we are incorporating artificial intelligence and generative artificial intelligence tools,” said Uribe. The technologies are being used for automation processes and network optimization, among others.