Airtel and Elon Musk’s Starlink launch Africa’s first satellite-to-phone service in DRC

Airtel Africa and Elon Musk’s Starlink have launched a satellite-to-phone service in the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking what the companies describe as the first commercial deployment of the technology in Africa.

• Airtel Africa and Starlink launched the service commercially in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 14 August 2026.
• Compatible Android smartphones can connect directly to Starlink satellites where Airtel’s terrestrial network is unavailable.
• The initial service supports SMS and selected light-data applications, including WhatsApp messaging.
• Airtel plans to expand the technology across its 14 African markets, subject to regulatory approval.

The service, commercially launched on 14 August 2026, allows eligible Airtel customers to connect compatible smartphones directly to Starlink satellites in areas without conventional mobile coverage.

Unlike Starlink’s traditional internet service, customers do not need to purchase or install a satellite dish. Compatible smartphones connect directly to satellites that function like mobile phone towers in space.

The initial service is limited to SMS and selected light-data applications, including WhatsApp messaging. It does not yet provide unrestricted high-speed internet, video streaming or all the services available through a conventional mobile network.

“The first-ever commercial launch of Starlink Mobile in Africa is a significant milestone for Airtel Africa through our partnership with SpaceX,” Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said.

“By combining Airtel’s terrestrial network with Starlink’s satellite technology, we are extending essential connectivity beyond the limits of conventional mobile infrastructure.”

Taldar said experience from the DRC launch would support the gradual expansion of the service across Airtel Africa’s other markets, subject to regulatory approvals in each country.

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What Airtel customers need

The service is initially available on compatible LTE Android smartphones. Support for Apple devices is expected to be introduced later.

Customers must also have an active Airtel DRC data bundle or enable data roaming on their devices.

Eligible subscribers can register through the MyAirtel application and receive free access for an introductory 30-day period. Airtel said customers would continue accessing the service through eligible data bundles after the trial.

The company has not disclosed whether special Starlink bundles will be introduced or how much satellite connectivity will cost after the free trial.

Airtel DRC Chief Executive Officer Thierry Diasonama said the country’s size and geography mean many people live and work outside the reach of conventional telecommunications infrastructure.

“This service provides an additional layer of connectivity, helping customers remain reachable, informed and connected even in areas where terrestrial coverage is unavailable,” he said.

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The service is expected to be useful to mining companies, transport and logistics operators, farmers, health workers and humanitarian organisations operating in remote areas.

It could also provide basic communication during natural disasters, conflicts or temporary disruptions to terrestrial mobile networks.

From regulatory ban to Africa’s first deployment

The launch represents a significant turnaround for Starlink in the DRC.

Congolese authorities previously prohibited the operation of Starlink terminals over concerns that the technology could be used by armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 movement operating in the country’s eastern region.

That position changed on 2 May 2025, when the Congolese Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority granted a telecommunications network and services licence to Starlink DRC SA.

The licence allowed the SpaceX subsidiary to operate as an internet service provider in the country.

Starlink’s conventional satellite broadband service subsequently became available in the DRC. However, that service requires users to install dedicated Starlink equipment.

The latest Airtel deployment is different because it connects mobile phones directly to satellites without a separate terminal or dish.

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DRC has one of Africa’s largest connectivity gaps. Only about 30% of the country’s population used the internet in 2023, according to data from the International Telecommunication Union.

Its large landmass, forests, difficult terrain, security challenges and dispersed communities make the construction and maintenance of conventional mobile towers expensive.

Direct-to-phone satellite coverage offers Airtel an opportunity to extend basic connectivity into some of these areas without immediately building additional terrestrial infrastructure.

However, the service still depends on customers owning compatible LTE smartphones. Device affordability, data costs and limited digital skills could restrict its initial reach among poorer rural households.

Airtel’s 14-country Starlink plan

Airtel Africa and SpaceX first announced their Direct-to-Cell partnership on 16 December 2025.

Under the agreement, Airtel plans to introduce Starlink’s satellite-to-phone technology across all 14 African markets in which it operates.

The company serves customers in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Niger, Chad, Gabon, Seychelles, Madagascar, the Republic of Congo and the DRC.

The companies successfully tested Starlink Mobile’s data and messaging capabilities in Kenya in March 2026. The tests were conducted in locations where Airtel’s terrestrial network was unavailable.

DRC has now become the first market where the service has progressed from testing to commercial access.

Starlink has about 650 satellites equipped to support direct connections with mobile phones, according to Airtel. The companies also plan to use a new generation of satellites to provide significantly faster data services in the future.

The expansion is not automatic. Airtel and SpaceX must obtain regulatory and spectrum approvals in each market before activating the service.

The partnership could strengthen Airtel’s competition with MTN, Vodacom and other African telecommunications companies seeking to use low-Earth orbit satellites to extend coverage.

Vodacom has also entered a partnership with Starlink covering several African markets, while Amazon plans to begin offering its competing satellite internet service in South Africa in 2027.

For now, DRC gives Airtel the continent’s first commercial test of whether direct satellite connectivity can move beyond demonstrations and become a practical service for ordinary mobile customers.