The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, has signed this Friday an agreement with SpaceX, the aerospace and technology group founded by Elon Musk, which greenlights the commercial provision of the Starlink satellite internet service throughout Venezuelan territory, according to details provided by the Executive in an official statement.
With this step, Venezuela becomes a recognized market for the American company, which will have a legal domicile in the country and will be subject to oversight by the authorities under national regulations, allowing Rodríguez's government to exercise direct control over the quality and scope of the service.
Thanks to this regulation, citizens in Venezuela will be able to contract the service within the country, make payments through the national banking system, and receive the necessary equipment for the connection at their homes. Until now, although antennas were sold through authorized distributors, the activation, contracting, and payment processes were managed from abroad or through individually imported devices.
The official document clarifies that the habilitation and concessions in the Ku band allow the Venezuelan state to "ratify its commitment to the regulation of the radioelectric spectrum, the promotion of new technologies, and the digital inclusion of the population," in line with the policies of democratizing access to technology promoted by the acting president.
The Executive has framed this license within its plan to modernize the national telecommunications infrastructure and expand access to technological tools.
This regulatory movement evidences a stage of greater understanding between the Venezuelan government and companies from the United States, and distances itself from the public clash that former president Nicolás Maduro and Musk had at the end of July 2024, amid the controversy over the results of the presidential elections in the country.