Telefonica Brasil Counts 10 Million Satellite Users — Businesses Face A Shorter Free Trial
Vivo gives businesses three months of free satellite access, compared with 12 months for consumers, before planned charging.
Telefonica Brasil, which sells mobile, broadband and digital services in Brazil, counted 10 million satellite users within weeks of launch, CEO Christian Gebara said Wednesday on the company's earnings call. Businesses receive three free months of access, versus 12 months for consumers, putting them on an earlier path to paid service.
Charging Starts With Businesses
The service is available to 50 million customers, Gebara said in response to a JPMorgan analyst who asked about usage and charging once the consumer trial ends. “What we saw is 10 million already used it,” he said.
“Monetization is not just in one year,” Gebara said. Vivo expects to charge both groups after their respective free periods: three months for businesses and 12 months for consumers. The early usage figure measures customers who have tried the service, rather than paying satellite subscribers.
Population Coverage Leaves A Geographic Gap
Vivo's partnership with Starlink lets eligible smartphones connect directly to satellites, according to the company's third-quarter results release. The company described itself as Brazil's first mobile operator to offer that capability, extending service to nearly all of the country.
Gebara put the gap in concrete terms on the call: the conventional mobile network reaches over 98% of Brazil's population, but around 20% of its territory. Satellite access extends connectivity into rural and remote locations beyond that network.
Customers can currently use messaging, GPS and calling through selected apps. Gebara said the coverage extension had no material effect on profitability.
Satellite Joins Vivo's Mobile Pitch
Asked by a Bank of America analyst whether Vivo could sustain its mobile outperformance, Gebara pointed to satellite access as a reason customers might choose its service. He placed it alongside network quality, digital offerings and bundles that combine mobile and fiber connectivity.
The mobile business generated R$10.4 billion in service revenue in the third quarter, up 7.4% from a year earlier. That growth partly included a reallocation of bundled revenue from fiber to mobile; the adjustment did not change total service revenue.
Vivo serves consumers and businesses with connectivity and services including cloud computing, cybersecurity and connected-device technology. Satellite expands the reach of that connectivity offering, while the different trial periods separate its consumer and enterprise charging plans.
Gebara said Vivo's satellite roadmap includes commercial models for both customer groups and faster connections as the technology develops.
Sources
- Telefonica Brasil results release (Form 6-K, EX-99) — SEC EDGAR
- Telefonica Brasil: Q3 Earnings Snapshot — Associated Press
- 3Q26 Results: Telefônica Brasil S.A. — newsfilecorp.com
- Telecommunications News | TMX Newsfile — www2.newsfilecorp.com
