Airtel Africa has commercially inaugurated Starlink Mobile satellite-to-mobile service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), making it the first operator in Africa to deploy the service commercially.
Airtel DRC Managing Director Theirry Diasnoma disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
Diasnoma said the inauguration followed the strategic partnership between Airtel Africa and Starlink announced in December 2025.
He said also that it followed the successful testing of Starlink Mobile data and messaging services in Kenya in March 2026.
The managing director said the service would extend essential connectivity to people living, working and travelling beyond the reach of conventional mobile infrastructure.
‘’The service will provide an additional layer of connectivity, enabling customers to remain reachable and informed in areas where terrestrial network coverage was unavailable.
‘’The service will be, particularly useful to transport and logistics operators, humanitarian organisations, health workers, farmers, mining operations and communities in remote areas, ‘’ he said.
He said it would also support communications during emergencies, natural disasters and temporary disruptions to terrestrial networks.
According to him, the service enables customers with compatible smartphones to access connectivity in areas without terrestrial coverage, provided they have a clear view of the sky.
“Starlink, a satellite-to-mobile constellation operated by SpaceX, currently has about 650 satellites in orbit and supports light-data applications, including WhatsApp messaging and SMS.
“Customers do not require specialised equipment or a separate device to use the service,” he said.
Diasnoma said eligible Airtel DRC customers could access the service with compatible LTE Android smartphones and an active Airtel DRC data bundle or data roaming enabled.
He said the service would also be supported on Apple devices in the future.
Newsextra24 reports that the DRC is the first Airtel Africa market and the first country in Africa where Starlink Mobile has progressed to commercial deployment.
Airtel Africa and Starlink are expected to develop additional capabilities as the technology evolves and regulatory approvals are secured across other markets.
