Airtel Africa and Starlink have launched a satellite-to-phone service in the Democratic Republic of Congo, giving customers a way to stay connected outside conventional mobile coverage.
Airtel launched the service commercially on August 14. The company calls it Africa’s first commercial deployment of Starlink Mobile. Customers with compatible smartphones can now connect directly to Starlink satellites whenever Airtel’s terrestrial network goes dark. They don’t need a Starlink dish or any separate satellite terminal.
For now, the service handles SMS and light-data applications, including WhatsApp messaging. It doesn’t offer the full high-speed internet experience that comes with Starlink’s conventional broadband service.
Still, the launch gives Airtel a new way to push basic connectivity into remote parts of the DRC without immediately building more mobile towers. It could also serve as a test case for Airtel’s planned rollout across its other African markets, including Nigeria.
The technology essentially turns Starlink satellites into an extension of Airtel’s mobile network. Compatible phones can connect directly to satellites once terrestrial coverage disappears, as long as users meet the service requirements.
Airtel insists customers don’t need any specialised satellite equipment. The initial DRC service focuses on messaging rather than full broadband, which means customers can only use SMS and select low-data apps like WhatsApp for now. However, Airtel and SpaceX plan to roll out faster services with a newer generation of satellites later.
Eligible Airtel DRC customers can register through the MyAirtel app for a 30-day free trial. According to reports on the commercial rollout, Airtel plans to fold access into qualifying data bundles once the trial period ends.
The company hasn’t disclosed what customers will pay for satellite connectivity after the introductory period. That pricing decision will matter a lot as Airtel pushes the technology into markets where affordability remains a major barrier to internet adoption.
Airtel Africa Chief Executive Sunil Taldar said the DRC launch would help the company learn how to scale the service across its wider African operation.
Airtel already serves customers in 14 African markets, including Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Niger, Chad, Gabon, Seychelles, Madagascar, the Republic of Congo and the DRC. The company hasn’t announced a commercial launch date for Nigeria yet. Regulators in each country must first approve the required spectrum and service arrangements before Airtel can switch on the technology.
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This commercial launch follows months of testing. Airtel Africa and SpaceX announced their Starlink Direct-to-Cell partnership back in December 2025.
The agreement covers all 14 markets where Airtel Africa operates. It initially promised text messaging and data access for selected applications in areas without terrestrial coverage.
Airtel went on to test Starlink Mobile data and messaging services in Kenya in March 2026, and its official press release confirms that test came before the DRC commercial rollout. Now, the DRC moves the partnership from testing into paying-customer deployment.
The country actually presents an obvious use case. Its size, forests and scattered communities make conventional telecom infrastructure expensive to extend into many areas.
Airtel says the service could help people working in mining, agriculture, logistics, healthcare and humanitarian operations stay connected beyond its normal network. It could also provide basic communications when disasters or other disruptions knock out terrestrial networks.
That said, satellite-to-phone connectivity doesn’t remove every barrier. Customers still need compatible smartphones, and data affordability will ultimately determine how widely consumers adopt the service.
Nigeria Is Part of Airtel’s Plan
Nigeria falls under Airtel and SpaceX’s 14-country agreement, which makes the DRC rollout relevant to Nigeria’s telecom market, particularly for rural communities and businesses operating beyond reliable mobile coverage.
Direct-to-phone connectivity could eventually help businesses reach staff and customers in areas where operators struggle to justify the cost of new towers. Farmers, transport companies and businesses running remote routes could also gain another connectivity option.
But Airtel hasn’t confirmed when Nigerians will get the service. The company must first secure the necessary regulatory approvals.
The DRC launch gives Airtel and SpaceX their first commercial evidence of how customers actually use the technology in an African market.
For now, the service remains limited mainly to messaging and select low-data applications. Its wider impact will depend on pricing, smartphone compatibility and how quickly regulators clear deployments across Airtel’s other 13 markets.