Satellite Internet for Africa: Starlink + Airtel Team Up
In a major move for connectivity across Africa, telecom provider Airtel Africa has partnered with satellite-internet specialist Starlink to bring high-speed, low-latency satellite internet services to multiple African countries.
Starlink already has licensing in 9 of the 14 African countries where Airtel operates, with applications pending in the rest. The service is aimed at enterprise, education, healthcare and underserved rural areas — bridging the digital divide.
Challenges remain: equipment costs are high, regulatory and licensing environments vary, and local telecom operators raise concerns about competition. Nevertheless, this signals a step-change in connectivity infrastructure for Africa.
Why it matters:
For Uganda and the region, improved connectivity means new possibilities: remote work, digital education, e-health, agritech services.
For advertisers and digital publishers (like The Urban Gazette), it means broader reach, more potential audience in previously underserved areas.
For the economy, it may attract new investment and boost digital inclusion.
In a major move for connectivity across Africa, telecom provider Airtel Africa has partnered with satellite-internet specialist Starlink to bring high-speed, low-latency satellite internet services to multiple African countries.
Starlink already has licensing in 9 of the 14 African countries where Airtel operates, with applications pending in the rest. The service is aimed at enterprise, education, healthcare and underserved rural areas — bridging the digital divide.
Challenges remain: equipment costs are high, regulatory and licensing environments vary, and local telecom operators raise concerns about competition. Nevertheless, this signals a step-change in connectivity infrastructure for Africa.
Why it matters:
For Uganda and the region, improved connectivity means new possibilities: remote work, digital education, e-health, agritech services.
For advertisers and digital publishers (like The Urban Gazette), it means broader reach, more potential audience in previously underserved areas.
For the economy, it may attract new investment and boost digital inclusion.
