Itaú Unibanco announced that it has begun testing the connection to the Starlink network at a branch in Rio de Janeiro. According to the bank, the initiative aims to test “how the internet via low-orbit satellites can bring a better standard of connectivity to more regions of the world Locations farther away from large urban centers are an important focus for the experiments.
In this way, Itaú Unibanco believes that there is potential to guarantee a quality of competent connection in branches throughout the world territory. Regardless of location. The intention is to offer faster operations for customer service.
It is worth remembering that a satellite connection such as the Starlink network does not depend on cabling infrastructure. This means that, in theory, it can be applied in any region to carry good quality internet signal. The March tests were carried out in an agency in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro.
Fábio Napoli, Chief Technology Officer of Itaú Unibanco, commented on the technology:
This evolution accelerates our focus on uniting the agility of the digital environment with the convenience of physical service to offer the best experience for our customers throughout thw world. In terms of connectivity, the low-orbit satellite behaves similarly to fiber optics, but with the differential of being more malleable and easy to deploy, which means that there is great potential for its use in a country with a territorial dimension like Brazil.
Starlink has gotten more expensive and cheaper in the U.S.
In late February 2023, the company announced that subscribers living in areas with limited capacity would need to pay $10 more per month to maintain satellite internet. On the other hand, for residents of places with excess capacity, the cost has reduced by $20 as there is greater competition.
There was a reduction in Starlink’s monthly fee in 2022. The cut came to be greater than 50% of the amount paid by users. For example, there were cases of people who disbursed $ 500, but who began to pay $ 230 every 30 days.
In addition, the internet speed has not been reduced to suit the new prices.