A state contract with Starlink under fire. Free market or insider deal?

Buenos Aires Herald reports that Argentina's government has awarded Starlink a three-year contract to provide satellite internet to six thousand rural schools, with a joint investment of about twenty-two million dollars. The deal, announced in late July, includes six thousand connectivity kits and two years of priority service, but it has drawn criticism for skipping a public bidding process. Analysts question the true cost, noting that the monthly price could jump to one hundred sixty-six dollars in the third year, and competitors argue the government is financing a company that undercuts them. The state-owned satellite operator ARSAT was left out, though its technology is outdated and its satellites are nearing end of life. The controversy highlights the close relationship between President Javier Milei and Elon Musk, and the lack of transparency in the award.

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