In more Starlink news, the Elon Musk-owned Internet company is advancing mobile integration efforts with Airtel Africa, a telecoms company operating in 14 countries.
In Kenya, Airtel has successfully tested direct-to-cell (DTC) satellite connectivity with SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, to allow regular 4G mobile devices to connect straight to a satellite when there’s no network on the ground.
What happened: After signing a deal with Starlink to launch D2C services across all of its African markets in December 2025, Airtel began testing the possibility of this in zero coverage areas, where its network would normally disappear.Â
The 4G devices automatically connected to Starlink satellites in those zero zones and kept working. The devices were reportedly able to send WhatsApp messages, check maps, and complete Airtel Money transactions.
In Africa, a basic 4G or 3G-enabled phone can handle messaging, mobile money, maps, and light browsing, which is important because with Airtel’s new experiment, users wouldn’t need high-end devices to benefit from satellite-backed coverage. Yet, affordability is the real constraint. According to GSMA, an entry-level smartphone in Sub-Saharan Africa can cost as much as 87% of the average monthly income for the poorest 20%, meaning even basic access is already a stretch.
While Airtel’s setup lowers the hardware barrier (no need for specialised devices), it raises a new question on service pricing. If connecting to satellites comes at a premium, it could stack on top of an already expensive entry point, pushing connectivity further out of reach.
How is this different from what Airtel normally does? Airtel uses terrestrial networks, towers and fibre. Coverage depends on how far those fibres cover. There are no terrestrial towers involved with the DTC connection. Airtel is only testing an extension of its network, not completely replacing it.
Why isn’t it live yet? Regulatory hurdles. This kind of service needs fresh approvals that are different from the usual licences telecoms and satellite Internet providers like Starlink already have; Kenya’s Communications Authority is yet to approve D2C specifically.
Will it work? Airtel’s test proves that the tech already works, but other factors like pricing and bandwidth capacity also matter. Then there’s competition, where rivals could strike similar deals or push back through regulators to protect existing advantages. No real moat for local players.