Airtel Africa has announced a partnership with SpaceX.
As part of this agreement, Airtel Africa will be able to offer Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet to its customers across the continent.
Thanks to this deal, especially Africans living in remote and underserved areas will finally have access to the internet.
In 2025, 600 million people in Africa still lack internet access, which makes this agreement critically important.
The rollout will initially begin in countries where connectivity gaps are most severe—Nigeria, Chad, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Niger, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Con
Starlink’s Potential to Expand Internet Access
Starlink is licensed to operate in 9 of the 14 countries where Airtel Africa is active, and Airtel has a subscriber base of 163.1 million.
As of 2025, Starlink serves 237,000 users. Thanks to its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and Airtel Africa’s strong market presence, this number could increase by 2.3 times.
In addition, Africans who already use the internet will now have access to more stable voice and data services, even in areas where fiber or mobile networks have not reached.
The partnership will also bring high-speed internet to critical services such as rural health clinics and educational institutions.
When we consider the digitalization of sectors like agriculture, education, finance, and healthcare, this deal could indirectly foster innovation and economic growth.
Expanding Mobile Coverage to Remote Regions
Moreover, the collaboration includes using Starlink’s satellite capacity for mobile network backhauling.
This will enable Airtel to expand its mobile coverage to remote areas lacking traditional infrastructure.
This agreement will also intensify competition on the continent and place pressure on rival operators such as MTN and Orange to speed up their digital inclusion strategies.
Chad Gibbs, SpaceX’s Vice President of Starlink Business Operations, commented on the deal by saying:
“The Airtel team has played a pivotal role in Africa’s telecom story. So working with them to complement our direct offering across Africa makes great sense for our business.”