Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 3 hrs ago
Vivo and Starlink launch satellite phone service in Brazil
Vivo and Starlink launched a satellite phone service in Brazil on October 26, connecting compatible mobile phones directly to satellites.
The service is intended for places without regular mobile coverage, such as remote rural areas and stretches of highway.
It complements, rather than replaces, ordinary mobile networks and does not need a separate antenna or router.
Users can send messages and audio, make WhatsApp voice calls and use maps, but the service is not designed for video or general internet browsing.
Eligible customers on postpaid plans and some control and prepaid plans can use it free for 12 months; business customers get three months free.
Phones need to be compatible and have a clear view of the sky, and older models may need settings changed manually.
Vivo has not announced prices after the free period, and the companies have not given a date for faster satellite service.
Vivo launched a satellite mobile service in Brazil in partnership with Starlink on 26 October.
Called Vivo Satélite, it connects compatible smartphones directly to Starlink satellites where conventional mobile coverage is unavailable.
The service is intended for basic communications and location features, including messaging, WhatsApp voice calls and maps.
Eligible customers can use it without extra charge for a limited period, though the offer differs by customer plan.
The service complements rather than replaces terrestrial mobile networks, and satellite use requires a clear view of the sky.
- Who
- Vivo and Starlink. The service is for eligible Vivo customers with compatible phones.
- What
- They launched Vivo Satélite, a direct-to-device satellite connection for mobile phones.
- When
- It launched on 26 October 2026.
- Where
- Brazil, in places without conventional mobile coverage.
- Why
- To provide basic mobile communication and location services in remote areas without terrestrial network coverage.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Anatel created an experimental regulatory framework to assess the technology in Brazil.
Vivo launched Vivo Satélite in Brazil.
Anatel’s renewed authorization is set to expire.
- Service name
- Vivo Satélite
- Partner
- Starlink
- Launch date
- 26 October 2026
- Spectrum band
- Vivo’s 2.6 GHz band
- Launch reach
- 50 million consumers, according to CNN Brasil
- Anatel authorization
- Renewed until 22 April 2029
5 sources
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What people are saying
With this partnership, we have enormous potential to complement mobile service for customers where we do not have infrastructure
We are making a conscious communication so people do not think D2D will have the same quality as 5G internet. The satellite network is for essential communication in these more remote areas, where people used to have no signal