Brazil’s telecom regulator, Anatel, gave Starlink 15+15 MHz of S-band spectrum on Friday, Oct. 9, for future satellite-to-phone service. Starlink had asked for 30+30 MHz, so it got half. The same day, Starlink began offering free service in parts of Panama hit by an earthquake.
What Anatel Approved
Anatel’s board approved the grant 4–1 in Acórdão No. 265/2026, with board member Alexandre Freire as rapporteur. Edson Holanda voted against, objecting to the decision being taken through a written deliberative circuit rather than a board meeting.
The 15+15 MHz comes in two pieces with different end dates:
- 10+10 MHz: 1,980–1,990 MHz uplink and 2,170–2,180 MHz downlink, valid until Feb. 10, 2038, the end date of SpaceX’s U.S. authorization.
- 5+5 MHz: 1,990–1,995 MHz uplink and 2,180–2,185 MHz downlink, valid only until June 5, 2029, when the higher-priority right in that slice expires.
The extra 5+5 MHz is an exception. In May, Anatel split Brazil’s S-band into three 10+10 MHz blocks and capped each operator at one. The board let Starlink run wider until 2029, citing coordination agreements and the technical benefit of a 15 MHz contiguous block. Anatel set 2030 as the end of the transition to the one-block model. The same ruling moved AST SpaceMobile’s authorization to 1,995–2,010 MHz uplink and 2,185–2,200 MHz downlink to make room.
Starlink’s current Brazilian exploitation right ends March 28, 2027, so the board issued a new right specific to the S-band. Before Anatel issues it, Starlink must prove payment of R$102,677, and the decision takes effect only once it appears in the Diário Oficial da União.
When Phones in Brazil Could Connect
Anatel’s analysis puts the start of V2 Mobile satellite deployment in 2027, and phone service in Brazil is expected to run on those satellites. Starlink told Anatel it plans voice, SMS and broadband.
In the public consultation it also proposed free geolocated search-and-rescue, maritime and severe-weather alerts, which the ruling does not require. Starlink has not named a Brazilian carrier partner, a launch date or pricing.
Starlink called the decision a win, posting that Anatel had voted “to approve Starlink Mobile’s full 2 GHz access with our global S-band priority.” The ruling grants 15+15 MHz of the 30+30 MHz requested.
The Brazil grant follows a busy week for Starlink Mobile. In the U.S., the FCC licensed SpaceX’s 15,000-satellite Starlink Mobile constellation on Oct. 6, including 2 GHz mobile-satellite spectrum, and SpaceX agreed to buy nationwide 800 MHz spectrum. Our Starlink Direct to Cell explainer covers how phones talk to satellites, and Starlink V3 explained covers the next generation of the network.
Free Service in Panama
Starlink is offering free service through Nov. 10 to new and existing customers in the parts of Panama hit by the earthquake. The company said it is working with emergency response agencies to restore connectivity in the hardest-hit communities.
For those impacted by the earthquake in Panama, Starlink is providing free service through November 10 to new and existing customers in the affected areas.
Starlink on X
Starlink has not said which areas qualify or how customers sign up.
