Airtel Africa Teams Up with Starlink for Satellite Phone Service Across 14 Countries

Airtel Africa teams up with Starlink for satellite phone service, and it’s a pretty big deal for folks across the continent. On Tuesday, Airtel Africa said they’ve struck a deal with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell satellite connectivity to all 14 of their African markets, including Nigeria. The goal? To stretch mobile coverage into spots that don’t have any traditional network towers.

This Direct-to-Cell tech lets regular smartphones hook up straight to satellites, no need for those ground-based cell towers. Airtel Africa partners with Starlink here, and they expect the service to kick off in 2026. It’ll start with text messaging and some limited data for specific apps, according to the telecom company’s statement.

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The partnership goes further too. Airtel Africa partners with Starlink for satellite phone service that also rolls out high-speed broadband using next-gen satellites. Those can deliver data speeds up to 20 times faster, but that’ll come in a later phase. Of course, everything depends on getting the green light from regulators in each country.

Airtel Africa’s CEO, Sunil Taldar, couldn’t hide his excitement. “Airtel Africa remains committed to delivering a great experience to our customers by improving access to reliable and contiguous mobile connectivity solutions,” he said. He pointed out how Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell tech fits perfectly with their existing ground networks, especially in tough spots where building more towers just isn’t practical.

“We are very excited about the collaboration with Starlink, which will establish a new standard for service availability across all our 14 markets,” Taldar added. Airtel Africa partners with Starlink to make this happen, and it’s clear they’re pumped about bridging those gaps.

The company already serves around 174 million customers in those 14 markets, and get this, they’re the first mobile operator in Africa to offer Starlink Direct-to-Cell. Airtel Africa teams up with Starlink for satellite phone service that should really help close the digital divide, bringing reliable connections to rural areas and places that have been left out so far.

Starlink Direct-to-Cell runs on the world’s biggest satellite network, with over 650 birds circling in low-Earth orbit. It beams down data, voice, video, and messages to phones in dead zones where regular signals just don’t reach.

Starlink’s VP of Sales, Stephanie Bednarek, chimed in too: “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 provide faster access to many essential services.”

Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell is already up and running in spots around the world, with more coming soon as they team up with other partners. Over in the USA, it’s live commercially with T-Mobile. Compatible phones there can send texts and get emergency alerts right from Starlink satellites when they’re out of regular coverage.

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In Ukraine, Kyivstar has rolled it out across big chunks of the country. It started with SMS and is expanding to voice and data. Ukraine even snagged the title of the first European country to bring this satellite service to everyday 4G users.

Airtel Africa teams up with Starlink for satellite phone service like this, and it feels like a game-changer for Africa. Imagine being able to text or grab some data no matter how remote you are, rural farmers checking prices, kids doing homework, or just staying in touch with family. With Airtel Africa partners with Starlink leading the charge as Africa’s first, it’s setting the stage for everyone else to catch up and shrink those connectivity gaps for good.

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