Entel satellite SMS usage grows 520% during Chile emergency

Entel reported a 520% increase in satellite SMS usage during a weather emergency in Chile this past July. Through an alliance with Starlink, the company provided free, temporary satellite messaging services to customers in areas between the Atacama and Los Lagos regions when traditional mobile networks failed.

The Coquimbo Region experienced the highest demand, accounting for 68% of traffic during the peak usage day. On July 20, the service reached a peak of 18,200 messages sent in a single day, representing a 985% increase over the pre-emergency daily average. The number of unique users also rose from an average of 470 to 2,600 during the first two weeks of the contingency.

This deployment marks a precedent in the telecommunications sector as the first application of direct-to-cell satellite connectivity during an emergency. Currently, over one million Entel customers have satellite connectivity enabled, and Chile has surpassed 170,000 users of this technology, which is estimated to represent 10% of direct-to-cell connections globally.