Starlink Mobile Goes Live with Liberty in Costa Rica
Starlink Mobile has launched in Costa Rica through its partnership with local operator, Liberty, bringing direct-to-cell satellite connectivity to standard smartphones in areas beyond terrestrial mobile coverage.
The service follows the agreement signed by Liberty and Starlink in April 2026 and marks the first satellite-to-mobile deployment of its kind in Costa Rica. It uses Starlink’s low Earth orbit satellite network to connect directly to compatible 4G LTE phones over Liberty’s 1,800MHz spectrum, without requiring satellite phones, external antennas or additional equipment.
At launch, the service is focused on practical light-data use cases rather than full mobile broadband. Users can access WhatsApp text messaging and voice notes, share locations, use Google Maps and send basic messages when outside conventional coverage, provided they have a compatible device, updated software and a clear view of the sky.
Liberty is positioning the service as a consumer and enterprise connectivity layer for rural, mountainous, coastal and maritime areas, as well as national parks and other locations where building terrestrial infrastructure is difficult. It is also aimed at outdoor users such as hikers, campers and anglers, while providing an additional resilience option during emergencies.
The satellite-to-mobile service is included at no additional cost for Liberty postpaid customers, while prepaid access is expected to be available on demand. Liberty has said further details on prepaid pricing, device compatibility and additional features will be made available as the service develops.
Costa Rica’s terrain makes it a natural market for D2D satellite connectivity. Mountainous regions, dense forest, remote beaches and coastal waters all create coverage challenges for terrestrial networks, making satellite a useful complement rather than a replacement for mobile infrastructure.
Fellow MNO Kölbi has also signed a separate Starlink agreement, focused initially on business, institutional and government users. Together, the two partnerships give Starlink a route into both consumer and public-sector connectivity in Costa Rica.