Vivo has launched direct-to-device satellite mobile internet across Brazil in partnership with Elon Musk's Starlink, offering service to 50 million customers. The commercial rollout connects standard smartphones directly to satellites in Earth orbit without requiring ground dishes or specialized antennas.
The new feature, called Vivo Satélite, took effect on Monday, October 26. Vivo is providing the service at no additional cost to all post-paid mobile subscribers, as well as to selected hybrid and prepaid customers for an initial twelve-month period.
The rollout reaches almost half of Vivo's 105 million total mobile customers across Brazil. Corporate clients will be able to test the satellite connection free of charge for three months, after which business access will be available through paid service contracts.
Direct satellite connection for remote regions
Starlink spent recent months preparing the Brazilian launch as part of a broader push by Elon Musk to accelerate growth in the telecommunications sector. Satellite internet forms the cornerstone of Musk's strategy to expand his aerospace and communications business into global consumer mobile connectivity.
Starlink already provides fixed satellite broadband to more than 10 million customers worldwide. Brazil represents Starlink's second-largest global market, with more than one million active connections. Standard fixed satellite internet requires an external dish and a ground router to receive transmissions from space, but direct-to-device technology bypasses all terrestrial hardware.
Musk's satellite division is deploying the technology by partnering with local mobile operators in Brazil. The company uses an identical collaborative model in the United States and in neighboring Latin American countries such as Chile.
Coverage for rural and forest areas
The primary benefit of direct-to-device connectivity is delivering mobile reception to isolated regions where telecommunications companies have never built cellular infrastructure. These areas include agricultural heartlands, Amazon rainforest zones, and remote national highways that lack cellular towers, base antennas, and fiber-optic networks.
In an interview, Vivo Chief Operating Officer Alex Salgado said the partnership provides enormous potential to complement mobile services in areas where the company lacks physical network assets. He noted that Vivo's terrestrial network already covers more than 98 percent of the Brazilian population.
Salgado explained that the remaining unserved population of less than two percent comprises citizens scattered across an enormous national territory. He emphasized that direct-to-device satellite transmission is the correct technical solution to provide coverage across those vast distances.
Brazil spans more than 8.5 million square kilometers, creating severe logistical hurdles for conventional telecom networks. Running fiber-optic lines through dense jungle basins or installing powered mobile towers along remote interstate corridors is often technically unfeasible or commercially uneconomic, leaving substantial geographic pockets entirely without cellular reception.
Connection speeds and service limitations
The service carries notable technical trade-offs, with data speeds remaining substantially lower than standard 4G and 5G cellular networks. Handset signals must travel roughly 550 kilometers into low Earth orbit to reach Starlink satellites, which increases signal latency and restricts overall bandwidth.
Because of these data limits, the satellite connection supports only basic digital tasks. Users can transmit text messages via SMS, send voice notes and conduct voice calls through WhatsApp, view Google Maps, and use the mobile carrier's account application. Video calling and streaming video do not work or suffer severe disruptions.
Salgado stressed that the company is communicating clearly with customers so users understand that satellite internet will not deliver the high speeds of 5G networks. He said the satellite link is designed for essential communication in remote territories where residents previously experienced complete signal loss.
Handset compatibility and spectrum sharing
The new satellite service requires compatible mobile hardware. Newer smartphones running Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems have received software updates that automatically adjust settings so supported applications can transmit over direct-to-device satellite signals.
Owners of older smartphones must configure their network settings manually to connect to the space-based signal. Starlink transmits the mobile signal using Vivo's licensed 2.6-gigahertz radio frequency spectrum.
The commercial agreement between Vivo and Starlink contains no fixed expiration date and does not include exclusivity requirements. Both companies retain the right to enter separate partnerships with other commercial operators to deliver satellite services. The specific financial and commercial terms of the transaction remain confidential.
Testing results and enterprise expansion
Seven million people in Brazil connected to the Starlink and Vivo satellite network during pilot testing conducted over the week leading up to the official rollout on Monday, October 26.
Sharon Zhang, the director of satellite regulatory policy for Starlink at SpaceX, highlighted the test numbers during an interview. She described the seven million connections as a massive milestone, noting that those users would otherwise have suffered dropped calls, failed text messages, or complete absence of mobile coverage.
Zhang said the partnership with Vivo realizes Starlink Mobile's long-term commercial strategy, which focuses on collaborating with telecommunications providers worldwide to deliver supplemental coverage. She added that this supplemental model creates an exceptionally strong impact in an expansive geographical market like Brazil.
Vivo views the free consumer rollout as a strategic investment to differentiate its brand from domestic competitors. Salgado stated that the company is focusing on the practical benefits delivered to customers through expanded geographical coverage.
Vivo also expects the expanded satellite footprint to generate new corporate contracts through its enterprise division. The carrier already provides connectivity to companies in agribusiness, logistics, and infrastructure, sectors that have produced rapid revenue growth in recent months. Salgado noted that satellite coverage can open further commercial opportunities across those industries.
Future satellite network upgrades
Starlink plans to launch newer generations of satellites over coming years that will offer faster browsing speeds directly to mobile handsets. In international markets, Musk's company is also investing in acquiring wireless spectrum and licensing terrestrial towers to operate independently as a full mobile carrier.
Salgado said the ongoing evolution of satellite internet will benefit the broader telecommunications market, indicating that Vivo does not view Starlink as a direct competitor. He stated that he welcomes advances in satellite technology and looks forward to newer satellite generations, adding that Vivo intends to adopt those upgrades as they launch.
Salgado concluded that direct-to-device satellite connectivity is an enduring technology, but stressed that it is meant to complement terrestrial networks rather than replace them. He noted that ground-based networks deliver far higher performance, adding that he does not see any satellite evolution that could replace terrestrial mobile infrastructure.
