Bolivia’s new government has lifted restrictions on international satellite internet companies, paving the way for services such as Starlink and Kuiper to operate in the country as authorities seek to improve one of South America’s slowest internet networks.

President Rodrigo Paz on Tuesday signed a decree removing limits imposed by the previous administration, allowing global satellite providers to offer nationwide coverage. The restrictions had been introduced under former president Luis Arce, whose government last year denied SpaceX-owned Starlink a license, citing concerns over data protection and national sovereignty.

Bolivia has long struggled to expand reliable internet access, particularly in remote areas. In 2013, the government of then-president Evo Morales purchased a Chinese-built satellite, Tupac Katari, promising it would transform connectivity. However, the satellite, which operates from a geostationary orbit about 35,000 kilometers above Earth, failed to deliver significant improvements in speed.

By contrast, modern satellite networks such as Starlink operate much closer to Earth, enabling faster data transmission. A November report by connectivity firm Ookla ranked Bolivia last in South America for both mobile and fixed broadband speeds.

President Paz said opening the market to international satellite companies would help “reduce the digital divide” and provide high-quality internet access nationwide. “We became spectators while the rest of the world advanced,” he said. “That is over.”

The president also announced plans for foreign firms, including Tesla, Amazon, Tether and Oracle, to invest in data centers near El Alto and Cochabamba as part of efforts to attract investment and ease an economic crisis marked by dollar shortages.

Source: AP