Elon Musk’s Starlink reaches Argentina and the government welcomes it

(CNN Spanish) — The arrival in Argentina of Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, proceeded after the announcement of two companies that will sell the firm’s equipment, which received the green light to operate in the country following measures taken by the Javier Milie government.

“Today we can confirm that the satellite company of the prestigious businessman Elon Musk, whom everyone knows, is already being marketed through various platforms in our country,” presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni told a reporter on Wednesday. Said among other government at the conference. Announcements As he stressed, this is not a minor issue, as “millions of Argentines” will be able to access the Internet in remote areas.

Although Starlink already offered pre-registration for US$9 on its official website, this week the online sales portal Mercado Libre opened a registration to receive information when the Internet service is available. For its part, the Fravega equipment line also announced that it will market Starlink kits.

The most expensive thing is the kit, which includes the device, Wi-Fi router, power supply, cable and base. as shown in official page, its price in Peru is US$323; US$310 in Chile; US$370 in Paraguay; US$355 in Colombia; and US$347 in Mexico.

Starlink satellite antennas. Odd Anderson/AFP/Getty Images

Meanwhile, the monthly service costs between US$48 and US$62.

This is a figure that is not far from some of the plans of local competitors in Argentina, such as Orbit and Insat, with coverage in remote areas, although these companies have significantly lower installation costs. There are also alternatives in the market such as Telecom, which provides satellite services to companies, and state firm Arsat, which works as a wholesaler with resellers of the service.

“Basically, there is no difference between Starlink and existing local offers,” Adolfo Fioranelli, network and communications expert and CEO of Consultores IT, told CNN.

“At the service level it is the same, everyone follows the guaranteed service contract,” he said. But he commented that Starlink’s entry and its advertising impact could drive down prices in the market.

Additionally, he pointed out that Starlink has the advantage of making its equipment small and easy to transport for remote areas. Additionally, some cities that use radio frequency antennas and repeaters to connect to larger cities may find the satellite option more convenient.

Another advantage of Starlink lies in the location of its satellite network, which orbits the Earth at an altitude of about 550 kilometers, while individual geostationary satellites do so at a distance of more than 30,000 kilometers, as stated on their website. The company says this results in latency (milliseconds of data transfer delay) being reduced by up to 20 times. Furthermore, it offers download speeds over 100 megabits per second in many South American countries.

In February, the National Communications Agency (Anacom) reported authorization for Starlink, as well as OneWeb and Amazon Kuiper, to operate in the country, “with the aim of providing a new way of accessing the Internet.” The British OneWeb is just starting its tests in the region and has not made specific announcements for Argentina, and the American Amazon Kuiper is still in the testing phase and does not work in other countries.

The government’s announcement this Wednesday is considered another sign of open arms for the company. Starlink was the only private company mentioned by Xavier Miley at his first national network conference in December, when he announced an emergency megadecree to deregulate the economy. There he highlighted that the company plans to enter the country in 2024 and mentioned opening up offers from satellite providers. Musk’s company wasn’t even named in the official speech given to the press and this was something Miley added at the time.

The businessman’s interest in Miley grew and grew since the election campaign. Both criticize progressive positions and present themselves as defenders of freedom. “Prosperity is coming to Argentina,” Musk published in X after the November election.

The most recent exchange occurred in January, when the businessman praised Miley’s speech at the Davos Forum, where the president warned that “the West is in danger” and went into a lengthy speech about the risks of “socialism” and the policies of “collectivism.” Explanation offered. Musk shared the full video on his X account and commented: “Good explanation of what makes a country more or less prosperous.”