Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency, known as Anatel, has approved experimental operations for direct connections between mobile phones and satellites, a technology called direct-to-cell. The approval could eventually allow internet access in regions without transmission tower coverage, marking a potentially significant shift in how mobile devices connect to networks.
Currently, internet access on phones depends on ground-based infrastructure made up of transmission towers. Adriano Ponte, a technology journalist with Canaltech, said phones work by moving from cell to cell, antenna to antenna, staying linked to all of them at once until the device identifies which antenna is closest and offers the best signal, switching to it automatically.
Because of this system, connections simply stop working in places without coverage, such as basements or remote areas.
How direct-to-cell technology works
Contrary to what many assume, direct-to-cell technology does not involve a high-orbit geostationary satellite connecting straight to a phone, nor a satellite relaying a signal to a conventional tower.
Instead, low-orbit satellites, which operate at roughly 500 kilometers in altitude, simulate transmission towers directly from space, communicating with phones without the need for any specialized equipment.
Ponte explained that low-orbit satellites can communicate directly with a phone by simulating transmission towers.
These satellites travel at high speed to maintain their orbital path, which creates technical limitations. Ponte pointed to Starlink as an example, noting that it relies on a large number of satellites moving at high speed. Because of this, he said, they transmit only small amounts of data and effectively simulate a tower.
The key difference from geostationary satellites, which sit at around 36,000 kilometers in altitude and move in sync with Earth's rotation, lies in response time: the farther away a satellite is, the greater the latency of the connection.
Limited impact in Brazil for now
Despite Anatel's regulatory approval, practical implementation of the technology in Brazil is still in its early stages.
According to Ponte, these networks are expected to begin operating in Brazil by the end of the year, but only in an auxiliary capacity, transmitting limited amounts of data. He summarized the approval as simply a regulatory green light allowing the technology to serve as a backup network.
In practice, this means nothing changes for the average user for now. Direct-to-cell will function as support in emergencies or in areas without conventional signal, rather than as a replacement for traditional mobile networks.
