Airtel Africa partners Starlink for high-speed internet penetration in Africa

Telecom company Airtel Africa has partnered with Starlink to bring its Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) internet service to its customers across Africa. The agreement will further the adoption of Starlink’s high-speed internet service and boost Airtel’s internet penetration in rural areas across the region.

As revealed on Monday, Airtel Africa explained that the collaboration will improve its next-generation satellite connectivity offerings and spike its internet connectivity for businesses, and socio-economic communities like schools, and health centres across most rural parts of Africa. 

A major goal of Airtel Africa is to bridge the digital divide and explore other areas to promote digital inclusion on the continent. Also, SpaceX could utilise and benefit from Airtel’s ground network infrastructure and other capabilities in Africa. With the partnership, the telecom company will focus on rural coverage expansion through cellular upgrading.

“We remain deeply committed to our vision to enrich the lives of people of Africa. This partnership with SpaceX is a significant step to demonstrate our continued commitment to advancing Africa’s digital economy through strategic investments and partnerships,” Airtel Africa MD and Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Taldar, said.

Also Read: Starlink launches in Congo, now live in 21 African countries.

Starlink has continued to expand its footprint across Africa with its recent launch in Nigeria, Lesotho, and Somalia. Its latest entry in the Democratic Republic of Congo brings its presence in Africa to 21 countries, while Uganda is close by following strategic talks. The Elon Musk-owned satellite internet provider has penetrated 9 out of 14 countries with Airtel Africa’s operations, while operating licenses for the other 5 countries are in process.

With Starlink’s satellite penetration rate and ability to provide reliable and high-speed internet, Airtel Africa sees it as a tool to bridge the internet access gap across Africa. Starlink’s constellation of over 6,750 low-Earth orbit satellites offers a solution by bypassing the need for terrestrial infrastructure, potentially delivering speeds of 50 to 250 Mbps, according to global service data.

Sunil noted that the next-generation satellite connectivity will ensure that every individual, business, and community has reliable and affordable voice and data connectivity, especially in the most remote and currently underserved parts of Africa.

What does Starlink stand to gain?

While Starlink possesses the ability to expand its range across the African region, the partnership with Airtel Africa can give the satellite company a rapid reach to a broader audience and also leverage 163.1 million Airtel subscribers across the continent.

As there have been concerns over Starlink’s adoption rate, even in countries it has launched, the collaboration offers more ground coverage and can drive adoption of its high-speed internet services, which leads to more subscriber growth for both parties. Moreover, Starlink has frequently faced issues navigating local regulations in some parts of Africa where the partnership gives Elon Musk’s Starlink access to markets and telecom infrastructure.

While commenting on the partnership, SpaceX Vice President of Starlink Business Operations Chad Gibbs explained that the connection with Airtel will drive transformative benefits for Starlink and Africans in new and innovative ways. He noted that while the satellite internet provider is now available in more than 20 African markets, this agreement highlights how both parties stand a great chance of closing the digital gap.

”Starlink welcomes the opportunity to join forces with important industry leaders to ensure as many people as possible can benefit from Starlink’s presence.  The team at Airtel 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,” he noted.

SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites in 2019. As of September 2024, the constellation consists of over 7,000 mass-produced small satellites in LEO that communicate with designated ground transceivers. Nearly 12,000 satellites are planned to be deployed, with a possible later extension to 34,400. The company announced reaching more than 1 million subscribers in December 2022 and 4 million subscribers in September 2024.