Our strategy to boost rural connectivity, by Airtel Africa

Airtel Africa said sealing a deal with SpaceX to introduce Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellite connectivity across all its 14 markets that serve 174 million customers in one of its strategies to boost rural connectivity in the country next year.

Airtel Africa MD and Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said the Direct-to-Cell technology deployment complements the terrestrial infrastructure and would reach areas where deploying terrestrial network solutions are challenging.

 “Airtel Africa remains committed to delivering great experience to our customers by improving access to reliable and contiguous mobile connectivity solutions. Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell technology complements the terrestrial infrastructure and even reaches areas where deploying terrestrial network solutions are challenging. We are very excited about the collaboration with Starlink, which will establish a new standard for service availability across all our 14 markets,” he said.

Also speaking on the development, Starlink Vice President of Sales, Stephanie Bednarek said the deal will help bridge the access gap in the country and 13 others where the telco has its footprints.

“For the first time, people across Africa will stay connected in remote areas where terrestrial coverage cannot reach, and we’re so thrilled that Starlink Direct to Cell can power this life-changing service. Through this agreement with Airtel Africa, we’ll also deliver our next-generation technology to offer high-speed broadband connectivity, which will offer faster access to many essential services,” she said.

Through this partnership, Airtel Africa customers with compatible smartphones in regions without terrestrial coverage can have network connectivity through Starlink, which is the world’s largest 4G connectivity provider (by geographic reach).

The satellite-to-mobile service will begin in 2026 with data for select applications and text messaging. This agreement also includes support for Starlink’s first broadband Direct to Cell system, with next-generation satellites that will be capable of providing high-speed connectivity to smartphones with 20x improved data speed. The rollout will proceed in line with country-specific regulatory approvals.

Airtel Africa is the first mobile network operator in Africa to offer Starlink Direct to Cell service, powered by 650 satellites to provide seamless connectivity to its customers in remote areas. The partnership reinforces Airtel Africa’s commitment to bridge the digital divide and offer seamless connectivity to its customers. Airtel Africa and Starlink will continue to explore additional collaboration opportunities to further advance digital inclusion across the continent.

While Airtel Africa is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with operations in 14 countries across sub-Saharan Africa with integrated offer that provides national and international mobile voice and data services as well as mobile money services to 174 million customers, Starlink Direct to Cell is the world’s only and largest constellation with more than 650 satellites in low-Earth orbit that delivers data, voice, video and messaging to devices in mobile dead zones.

Connecting more than 11million customers across five continents and counting, Direct to Cell satellites work with existing LTE phones wherever users can see the sky because it acts like a cell phone tower in space with the most advanced phased array antennas in the world that connect seamlessly across the Starlink network over lasers to any point in the globe, it enables network integration similar to a standard roaming partner.

Starlink is the world’s largest 4G coverage provider and partners with MNOs all over the world.