On Friday, May 20, SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced he is in Brazil to plan connecting rural communities to the Starlink broadband satellite network. "Super excited to be in Brazil for launch of Starlink for 19,000 unconnected schools in rural areas & environmental monitoring of Amazon!" he wrote via Twitter. SpaceX already provides Starlink internet service to 32 countries. The service was only available for a small low-income neighborhood in São Paulo as of February. SpaceX partnered with non-profit organization Fight for Peace (‘Luta Pela Paz’) to demonstrate its Starlink technology to the government by connecting a student community center that provides educational resources for more than 40 students in the neighborhood of Savoyzinho. Musk’s visit indicates Starlink will soon be available for the public in Brazil. Previously, Chile was the only Latin American country with active Starlink customers.
Super excited to be in Brazil for launch of Starlink for 19,000 unconnected schools in rural areas & environmental monitoring of Amazon! 🇧🇷 🌳 🛰 ♥️
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022
This week, Musk met with Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro and the Minister of Communications Fábio Faria. "I just talked to Elon Musk, who visits Brazil at the invitation of the Minister... Among other subjects, we deal with connectivity, investments, innovation and the use of technology to reinforce the protection of our Amazon and the realization of Brazil's economic potential," the President shared. Around 40 million Brazilian people have no access to the Internet, that is 19% of the population. Starlink will provide internet coverage to hard-to-reach regions in the country.
Minister Faria shared photographs of Musk's visit. "No one expected this! Since we are going to connect the Amazon, we brought in one of the biggest entrepreneurs in the world to help us in this mission. We accept the challenge and go to the end! Thank you, Elon, for the visit. Let's do this!!!" he captioned a set of photos. He also shared a video, linked below. "Thanks for having me!" Musk told Faria. Starlink Internet will be used to protect the Amazon, possibly by connecting sensors, cameras, and other technologies to high-speed internet across the dense forest. "Our goal is to bring Internet to rural and remote areas and to curb illegal fires and the deforestation of the Amazon forest,” explained Faria earlier this year.-Conversei há pouco com @elonmusk , que visita o Brasil a convite do Ministro @fabiofaria . Entre outros assuntos, tratamos de conectividade, investimentos, inovação e o uso da tecnologia como reforço na proteção de nossa Amazônia e na realização do potencial econômico do Brasil. pic.twitter.com/mijIdgvJS5
— Jair M. Bolsonaro (@jairbolsonaro) May 20, 2022
Por essa ninguém esperava! 🇧🇷
— Fábio Faria 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷 (@fabiofaria) May 20, 2022
Já que vamos conectar a Amazônia, trouxemos um dos maiores empresários do mundo para nos ajudar nessa missão. Aceitamos o desafio e vamos até o fim! Thank you, @elonmusk, for the visit. Let’s do this!!! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/AOXUPp5f9s
CONECTA AMAZÔNIA |
— Fábio Faria 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷 (@fabiofaria) May 20, 2022
➕ conectividade ➕ educação e ➕ proteção para a Amazônia!
Let’s do this! 🇧🇷🌳 @jairbolsonaro @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/PPqZX4r18f
Vamos além!! Pátria Amada Conectada! 🇧🇷🚀🌳 @jairbolsonaro @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/o65BvNQ2UB
— Fábio Faria 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷 (@fabiofaria) May 20, 2022
Featured Image Source: President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro via Twitter
About the Author
Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
