Airtel Africa Launches Starlink Mobile Service in DR Congo

Airtel Africa has launched a commercial satellite-to-mobile service in the Democratic Republic of Congo through its partnership with Starlink, claiming the deployment as the first commercial launch of Starlink Mobile on the continent.

The service allows compatible smartphones to connect directly to Starlink’s satellite network in areas where terrestrial mobile coverage is unavailable. It currently supports SMS and light-data applications such as WhatsApp, without requiring external antennas, satellite phones or additional customer equipment.

The DRC launch follows Airtel Africa’s strategic partnership with Starlink, announced in December 2025, and earlier pilots of Starlink mobile data and messaging services in Kenya. Airtel said the DRC deployment will act as a blueprint for the gradual expansion of the service across its 14 markets in sub-Saharan Africa.

The country represents a strong use case for satellite-to-mobile connectivity. Its size, terrain and dispersed population make it difficult for operators to deploy towers economically in many remote areas. Around 4.3 million people across nearly 3,000 remote and rural communities still lack basic mobile access, while 4G coverage remains well below full national reach.

Airtel expects the service to support rural communities, transport and logistics operators, humanitarian organisations, health workers, farmers and mining operations, as well as users in areas affected by emergencies or natural disasters where terrestrial infrastructure may be disrupted.