MTC successfully tests technology to send messages from areas without mobile coverage

By MTC

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) took part today in the first official demonstration of Direct-to-Cell (D2C) technology in the country, a system that allows conventional mobile phones to connect directly to satellites to send text messages from areas without mobile coverage.

The demonstration was carried out through a real-time link between the MTC headquarters in Lima and the Cañón de los Perdidos in Ica, where a technical team sent an SMS using only satellite connectivity, receiving the reply immediately.

The test is being conducted within the framework of the Controlled Experimentation Space (ECE), approved by Vice-Ministerial Resolution No. 0112-2025-MTC/03, which authorizes the evaluation of this technology for 24 months with technical and regulatory safeguards to ensure a safe deployment without affecting the integrity of the mobile ecosystem.

The Vice Minister of Communications, Raúl García Loli, highlighted the importance of the technological milestone: “Today we are taking a historic step: demonstrating that a message can be sent from a remote area without mobile coverage and reach any part of the country thanks to direct satellite connectivity to the cellphone. This places Peru among the first countries in the world to test this innovation,” he stated.

The project will be carried out by Entel Perú and Starlink, under their enabling titles, and will allow compatible smartphones to connect directly with satellites when there is no terrestrial mobile coverage. In this first phase, the technology will allow only the sending and receiving of SMS; later it may enable data and voice services.

The mtc specified that this innovation does not replace traditional mobile service, but rather complements it, enabling communication in emergencies, natural disasters, outdoor activities, and rural areas that have historically been disconnected.

The experimental framework includes strict measures to prevent interference in border areas and to allow timely intervention by the MTC in the event of any risk. The deputy minister also highlighted the role of the public–private partnership in promoting this project: “When the State and private enterprise work together, innovation ceases to be a luxury and becomes a tool to integrate territories and create opportunities,” he concluded.

With this initiative, Peru is positioning itself as a regional benchmark in advanced satellite connectivity and reaffirming its commitment to reducing the digital divide and strengthening communications in remote areas of the country.