Airtel Africa and Starlink have officially launched Africa’s first commercial satellite-to-mobile service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
With the new service, Airtel subscribers with compatible smartphones can access connectivity on Starlink’s satellite network without any additional equipment or specialised devices.
Initially, the service will support SMS and light-data applications such as WhatsApp messaging. Customers will need a compatible LTE Android smartphone, an active Airtel DRC data bundle or data roaming enabled to access the service. Support for Apple devices is expected to be introduced later.
“The first-ever commercial launch of Starlink Mobile in Africa is a significant milestone for Airtel Africa through our partnership with SpaceX,” said Airtel Africa CEO Sunil Taldar.
The service is expected to benefit users in remote and underserved areas, including healthcare workers, humanitarian organisations, transport and logistics operators, farmers, mining companies, and communities with limited access to conventional mobile infrastructure.
Eligible customers can register through the MyAirtel app to access a free 30-day trial before the service transitions to eligible Airtel data bundles.
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