Brazil to use Starlink satellite internet for remote election results transmission

The Brazilian Superior Electoral Court (TSE) will utilize Starlink satellite internet to facilitate the transmission of election results from remote locations in 13 states, including Acre, Amazonas, Pará, Roraima, and Maranhão. The service is being provided through a contract with the company Hughes, which involves up to 1,113 communication terminals at an approximate cost of R$ 8 million.

Experts and digital policy specialists have clarified that Starlink's role is strictly limited to transporting encrypted files from isolated regions to the TSE. The electronic voting machines themselves remain offline and do not connect to the internet during the voting process; they use digital signatures and encryption to ensure security.

While the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) identified some flaws in the market research and competitor requirements during its analysis, it maintained the bidding process, deeming the TSE's measures sufficient to ensure service continuity. Some concerns have been raised regarding the indirect nature of the contract with Starlink via Hughes, which could complicate responses to potential service interruptions.