Starlink and Airtel Africa announce partnership to bring Direct-to-Cell satellite service to 14 African countries. Elon Musk: «Starlink is providing Internet connectivity to schools and hospitals in Africa»
In Africa, from next year, 170 million people will have the possibility of communicating even from remote areas without connections. Making this possible will be the new partnership signed between Starlink and Airtel Africa to implement the Direct-to-Cell satellite service in 14 countries on the African continent.
Starlink’s objectives, between schools and healthcare
The initiative aims to bridge the digital divide, the isolation of remote areas and inequalities, in a part of the world where traditional infrastructure is very expensive or even completely absent. Thanks to Elon Musk’s satellite constellation it will be possible, in fact, to improve access to essential services, from healthcare to education, as well as guarantee greater economic opportunities. Elon Musk himself commented: «Starlink is providing Internet connectivity to schools and hospitals in Africa that previously had nothing or very expensive and poor connectivity». Starlink Vice President of Sales, Stephanie Bednarek, in the joint press release with Airtel, also announced: «For the first time, people across Africa will be able to stay connected in remote areas where terrestrial coverage is unavailable and we are truly excited that Starlink Direct-to-Cell can support this life-changing service. Through this agreement with Airtel Africa, we will also provide our next generation technology to deliver high-speed broadband connectivity that will ensure faster access to many essential services.”
The phases of the project
In the initial phase, the Direct-to-Cell service will allow voice, video and messaging communications directly on the smartphone, without the need for other equipment. At a later stage, the project envisages the evolution towards broadband connectivity up to 20 times faster, further expanding the possibilities of use. Celebrating the agreement, Airtel Africa CEO Sunil Taldar said: “Airtel Africa remains committed to delivering an exceptional experience to its customers by improving access to reliable connectivity solutions. Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell technology also reaches areas where it is difficult to implement terrestrial network solutions.”
