Airtel Africa to Roll Out Starlink D2D Service Across 14 Markets

Airtel Africa has partnered with SpaceX to introduce Starlink’s Direct-to-Device (D2D0 cell satellite connectivity across all 14 of its African markets, marking one of the largest planned deployments of satellite-to-mobile services globally to date.

The service is expected to begin in 2026, initially supporting text messaging and data for select applications. Airtel Africa customers with compatible smartphones will be able to connect directly to Starlink satellites in areas without terrestrial mobile coverage, without requiring specialized hardware.

The agreement also anticipates support for Starlink’s next-generation direct-to-cell satellites, designed to deliver significantly higher data ratesl, up to 20× faster than earlier D2D systems, bringing satellite-based mobile broadband closer to conventional cellular performance.

The move positions Airtel Africa to use satellite NTN as a complementary coverage layer, particularly relevant for rural, remote, and infrastructure-constrained regions. It follows similar Starlink direct-to-cell rollouts elsewhere, including Ukraine, where the technology has been used to bolster network resilience during outages.

The partnership could play a key role in extending 3GPP-aligned satellite-to-smartphone connectivity across Africa, accelerating adoption of NTN as part of mainstream mobile network architectures.