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Africa's First Satellite Mobile Live

3 entriesSat, Aug 15Tue, Aug 18Mobile, Telecom & Connectivity

Timeline

  1. Tue, Aug 18LatestUnverified — not yet reviewed

    Airtel Africa and Starlink Launch Africa's First Commercial Satellite-to-Mobile Service in DRC

    Airtel Africa and SpaceX's Starlink have commercially launched Africa's first satellite-to-mobile phone service in the Democratic Republic of Congo, using Direct-to-Cell technology to deliver connectivity to standard handsets without specialist hardware. The service was first reported on August 15 and is now confirmed across multiple sources, including one outlet that attributes the first-in-Africa designation to Uganda, though the DRC launch is the primary event.

  2. Sun, Aug 16Unverified — not yet reviewed

    Airtel and Starlink Expand Africa's First Satellite-to-Mobile Service in DRC

    Airtel Africa and Starlink have launched Africa's first satellite-to-mobile phone service in the Democratic Republic of Congo, using Direct-to-Cell technology to deliver connectivity without specialist hardware. The deployment, first reported on August 15, resets expectations for rural coverage across the continent where conventional infrastructure has historically struggled to reach underserved populations.

  3. Sat, Aug 15Unverified — not yet reviewed

    Airtel and Starlink Launch Africa's First Satellite-to-Mobile Service in DRC

    Airtel Africa and SpaceX's Starlink have launched Africa's first commercial satellite-to-mobile service in the Democratic Republic of Congo, using Starlink's Direct-to-Cell technology to deliver connectivity to mobile users without specialist hardware. The deployment resets expectations for rural coverage across the continent, where conventional network infrastructure has historically struggled to reach underserved populations.