Airtel Africa is first operator in Africa to commercially launch Starlink

What the report says

Airtel Africa and Starlink have begun offering a satellite-to-mobile service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in what The Independent Uganda describes as the first commercial deployment of the technology in Africa. The launch allows Airtel customers with compatible smartphones to access limited connectivity in areas outside normal mobile coverage, provided they can see the sky.

According to the report, the service works without special hardware or a separate device and can support light-data uses such as WhatsApp messaging and SMS. Customers need a compatible LTE Android phone and either an active Airtel DRC data bundle or data roaming enabled. The company said Apple device support is planned for later. The article says the rollout follows a partnership announced in December 2025 and earlier testing in Kenya in March 2026.

Airtel Africa chief executive Sunil Taldar said the launch was a major milestone for the company’s partnership with SpaceX, while Airtel DRC managing director Thierry Diasnoma said the service could help extend connectivity across a country where many people live and work beyond conventional network reach. The publication said the offering may be especially useful for transport, logistics, humanitarian, health, farming and mining users, as well as for emergency communications.

Eligible customers can register through the MyAirtel app and receive a 30-day trial before continuing through selected Airtel data bundles. More features are expected as the technology develops and regulators approve expansion in other markets.