By Aminu Umar Turaki
Airtel Africa has partnered with SpaceX to use Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell satellite technology to improve mobile coverage in Nigeria and other African countries.
The deal will allow people in remote and rural areas, where there are no mobile towers, to connect their smartphones directly to satellites, without needing special devices.
According to a statement released on Tuesday, the service will first support text messages and limited data services. Faster internet and full broadband services will be added later, after regulators in each country give approval.
Starlink’s new satellite system is designed to offer higher speeds and better reliability than older satellite networks. This makes it useful in places where building mobile towers is difficult or too expensive.
Airtel Africa has about 174 million customers, many of whom live in areas with weak or no network coverage. The company says the partnership will help improve access to education, business, and digital services.
Airtel Africa’s Managing Director, Sunil Taldar, said the deal will help set a new standard for network availability. SpaceX’s Vice President of Sales, Stephanie Bednarek, added that people will be able to stay connected without changing their phones.
The system uses about 650 satellites and is meant to support existing mobile networks, not replace them.
The service will be launched in 2026, starting with basic features like texting and limited data use.
