CNT Partners With Starlink: SatPower Brings Satellite Signal to Phones Across 82% of Ecuador. What It Means for Businesses
On September 29, 2026, in Quito, CNT launched SatPower, a satellite connectivity service for mobile phones in partnership with Starlink, SpaceX's low-orbit satellite network. According to Primicias, El Universo and El Diario, Ecuador becomes the third country in Latin America with this service, after Chile and Peru. For companies that work outside the cities, it is one of the most relevant connectivity stories of the year.
What SatPower is
The idea is simple: when the phone cannot find a CNT tower, it connects directly to Starlink's satellites, with no extra equipment. In the words of Ronald Spina, CNT's general manager, quoted by El Diario: "in those remote areas, where today there is no coverage of any kind, we can communicate, we can send WhatsApp messages." He summed it up in another line, reported by Primicias: "In Ecuador we have a connectivity problem."
Where it works
The service starts with coverage of 82.4% of the national territory, according to Primicias: rural roads, mountains, jungle and the sea up to 12 nautical miles off the coast. The remaining 18% is concentrated in border areas and the Amazon, and CNT aims to reach 100% in the coming months, according to El Universo and El Diario.
There are limits inherent to the technology: the satellite signal degrades among tall buildings, in tunnels and indoors, according to Primicias. It is a service for when there are no towers nearby, not a replacement for coverage in the city.
What you can do (and what you can't)
This is not unlimited internet from space. According to Primicias, the service enables specific apps: WhatsApp, Google Maps, X, AccuWeather, the ECU 911 app and SMS. With that you can message, send files, photos and videos over WhatsApp, find your location and call for help, as CNT's manager described. The sources consulted do not detail speeds or the list of compatible phones, so it is worth confirming with CNT before signing up.
How much it costs
CNT's new 5G mobile plans start at USD 15.99 plus VAT, and existing customers who want to add the service pay USD 3 extra per month on top of their plan, according to El Universo and El Diario. CNT said it made no additional infrastructure investment: it pays Starlink as usage grows.
In parallel, CNT announced that its 5G network will reach Loja on October 14 and Riobamba days later, completing the first 5G stage planned for this year, according to El Universo and SR Radio.
What it means for businesses
For a company, SatPower is not a replacement for office internet but a backup channel for people who work where there is no signal. The clearest cases:
- Field teams: technicians, salespeople and supervisors driving rural roads can report over WhatsApp, send photos of an installation or share their location.
- Agriculture, shrimp farms and remote operations: basic communication from farms, ponds or plants far from towers.
- Transport and logistics: drivers crossing stretches with no coverage can keep reporting and using Maps.
- Fishing and coastal operations: messaging up to 12 nautical miles offshore.
- Emergencies: access to ECU 911 and SMS where there used to be nothing.
What it does not solve: an invoicing system, an ERP, security cameras or a branch that needs full, stable internet. For that you still need a fixed connection (fiber, radio link or dish-based satellite internet) and a well-designed network.
Before signing up, three questions
- Where do your people work without signal? List the routes and sites. If they are within the 82.4% covered, the service makes sense.
- What do they need to do there? If WhatsApp, photos and location are enough, SatPower fits. If they need to access company systems, it falls short.
- Are their phones compatible? Confirm with CNT model by model before changing plans.
How We Approach It at SimCodec
At SimCodec we design networks and connectivity for companies with branches, plants and operations outside the city: we pair the main link with a backup, connect remote sites and keep the network monitored so an outage does not stop the operation. If your company has people or sites without good signal, we help you decide what each one needs: a plan like SatPower, a fixed link or both.
Want to review it? Write to us or call our AI assistant Cyntia at +593 99 726 6838.
