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Venezuela uses Starlink to restore connectivity in earthquake-hit La Guaira
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Disasters & Emergencies

Venezuela uses Starlink to restore connectivity in earthquake-hit La Guaira

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Venezuelan telecom companies Digitel and Movistar are restoring connectivity in the earthquake-stricken La Guaira state using Starlink satellite service.
  • Digitel has restored 88.9% of its infrastructure, while Movistar has recovered 70.2% and set up free Wi-Fi points in shelters.
  • The double earthquake on June 24 caused significant damage, with the death toll rising to 2,954 and injuries to 16,592.

Venezuelan telecommunications providers Digitel and Movistar are working to restore connectivity in La Guaira, the state most affected by a powerful double earthquake on June 24. The companies are utilizing Starlink's satellite service and establishing free Wi-Fi hotspots in regional shelters.

The Starlink kits provide transport connectivity in mobile network base stations, accelerating the restoration of communications in specific network points when an emergency affects traditional transmission media, such as fiber optics or microwave links.

— DigitelExplaining the role of Starlink in restoring communications after the earthquake.

Digitel reported that it has incorporated Starlink's low-orbit satellite connectivity to bolster its mobile network response in La Guaira. This satellite service provides transport connectivity to base stations, speeding up communication restoration when traditional methods like fiber optics or microwave links are compromised. The company has managed to recover 88.9% of its infrastructure in the coastal state, which is near Caracas.

Movistar Venezuela announced the activation of three free Wi-Fi zones in La Guaira shelters located in Catia La Mar, Maiquetía, and near the airport. They have also deployed Starlink Mobile for text messaging and two mobile units to provide coverage in Playa Grande and Los Corales. Movistar has recovered 70.2% of its infrastructure in the affected region.

We have been able to recover 88.9% of the infrastructure in the coastal state.

— DigitelReporting on the extent of infrastructure recovery.

The devastating earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, struck northern Venezuela on June 24. The seismic activity significantly disrupted phone and internet services in La Guaira, leaving some areas completely without communication. The death toll from the earthquakes has climbed to 2,954, with 16,592 individuals injured, according to the president of Parliament, Jorge Rodríguez. La Guaira, a coastal area, has a history of natural disasters, having experienced a deadly landslide in 1999.

We have been able to recover 70.2% of our infrastructure in La Guaira.

— MovistarReporting on the extent of infrastructure recovery.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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