CNT EP eliminates digital divide in Galápagos Islands with Starlink
“With Starlink, we’re turning Galápagos into a regional remote connectivity reference, with an eco-friendly solution, which honors and protects this natural sanctuary, avoiding the construction of a submarine cable.”
- Ronald Spina, General Manager of CNT EP
- Ronald Spina, General Manager of CNT EP
SITUATION
Corporación Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CNT EP), Ecuador's state-owned telecommunications provider, is dedicated to bridging the digital divide in remote and underserved areas, where high-speed internet is essential for education, innovation, and economic development.
To connect the isolated Galápagos Islands—1,000 kilometers from the mainland—CNT EP deployed Starlink's Community Gateway solution, delivering up to 10 Gbps symmetric speeds, fiber-like low latency, and rapid implementation without environmental disruption or massive upfront costs. This modernizes fixed and mobile services across the archipelago, replacing outdated satellite systems and enabling seamless migration to low-Earth orbit (LEO) technology as legacy MEO/GEO contracts expired—simplifying operations with a single provider and unlocking pent-up demand for reliable connectivity in this ecologically sensitive UNESCO World Heritage site.
To connect the isolated Galápagos Islands—1,000 kilometers from the mainland—CNT EP deployed Starlink's Community Gateway solution, delivering up to 10 Gbps symmetric speeds, fiber-like low latency, and rapid implementation without environmental disruption or massive upfront costs. This modernizes fixed and mobile services across the archipelago, replacing outdated satellite systems and enabling seamless migration to low-Earth orbit (LEO) technology as legacy MEO/GEO contracts expired—simplifying operations with a single provider and unlocking pent-up demand for reliable connectivity in this ecologically sensitive UNESCO World Heritage site.
CHALLENGE
Serving the Galápagos Islands presented formidable barriers for CNT EP, as traditional medium-Earth orbit and geostationary satellite capacities imposed exorbitant ongoing expenses and delivered subpar performance, with high latency causing chronic service failures, sluggish browsing, and unreliable essential communications.
Deploying a submarine fiber-optic cable was deemed unviable due to its staggering $50 million cost, two-year timeline, and potential seabed alterations that could harm the fragile marine ecosystem—leaving CNT EP trapped in a cycle of scaling inefficient legacy systems that failed to meet demands for high-bandwidth applications. The pressure then mounted to either perpetuate these costly, low-quality compromises or risk delaying strategic goals of nationwide connectivity equity. Technical bottlenecks, such as limited throughput and frequent outages, not only eroded customer trust and hampered revenue growth but also diverted resources from expansion initiatives.
Deploying a submarine fiber-optic cable was deemed unviable due to its staggering $50 million cost, two-year timeline, and potential seabed alterations that could harm the fragile marine ecosystem—leaving CNT EP trapped in a cycle of scaling inefficient legacy systems that failed to meet demands for high-bandwidth applications. The pressure then mounted to either perpetuate these costly, low-quality compromises or risk delaying strategic goals of nationwide connectivity equity. Technical bottlenecks, such as limited throughput and frequent outages, not only eroded customer trust and hampered revenue growth but also diverted resources from expansion initiatives.
IMPACT
Starlink's Community Gateway revolutionized CNT EP's Galápagos operations, providing scalable, high-speed backhaul while slashing costs and environmental risks, enabling the full migration of services to LEO for simplified administration with one provider and unleashing previously constrained data flows between the islands and mainland. This shift not only boosted service reliability for fixed and mobile users, turning the archipelago into a connected hub for education, business, and remote work. As a result, CNT EP achieved:
55%
Reduction in operational expenditure
10X
Increase in internet sales
IMPACT
- Operational expenses in the Galápagos dropped to just 45% of April 2025 levels, freeing up millions for broader digital inclusion investments and eliminating the financial burden of legacy satellite scaling.
- Post-implementation, sales volume skyrocketed tenfold, driven by the fastest and most reliable fixed/mobile internet available, attracting new customers and revitalizing the local economy through enhanced access.
- Inter-island and mainland traffic surged substantially, releasing pent-up demand suppressed by traditional systems and enabling seamless high-bandwidth applications that were previously impossible.
- Achieved deployment in a fraction of the time required for alternatives, with no seabed disruption—supporting quick service launches and aligning with environmental mandates while positioning CNT EP for sustainable expansion.
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