Starlink Goes From Rival To Ally With Africa's Top Telcos In Surprise Shift
· WeeTrackerStarlink Goes From Rival To Ally With Africa’s Top Telcos In Surprise Shift
By
Henry Nzekwe
| December 17, 2025
When SpaceX’s Starlink first launched, many industry observers braced for a showdown. The satellite internet venture, led by Elon Musk, was seen as a classic disruptor poised to bypass traditional mobile operators and connect millions of people beyond the reach of terrestrial networks. But in a strategic pivot, Starlink is now joining forces with the very companies it once seemed likely to challenge, in Africa and elsewhere.
Over the past few weeks, two of Africa’s largest telecom groups, Airtel Africa and Vodacom, have struck separate deals to integrate Starlink’s satellite technology into their services. Rather than clashing with incumbents who initially also mounted a fightback upon Starlink’s arrival, the space-based network is becoming a back-end ally, helping telcos extend coverage into rural and remote areas where laying fibre or building masts is economically unviable.
This week, Airtel Africa announced a partnership with SpaceX to introduce Starlink Direct-to-Cell connectivity across its 14 African markets, including Nigeria. The service, scheduled to begin in 2026, will allow customers with compatible smartphones to connect directly to Starlink satellites in areas without ground-based coverage.
“Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell technology complements terrestrial infrastructure and even reaches areas where deploying terrestrial network solutions is challenging,” said Airtel Africa’s MD and CEO Sunil Taldar. He added that the collaboration would “establish a new standard for service availability” across its markets.
The move could significantly expand mobile access for Airtel’s 174 million customers. Initially supporting text and data services, the upgraded satellite system is expected to offer data speeds up to 20 times faster than earlier satellite-to-mobile solutions, according to the company.
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Similarly, in November, Vodacom—South Africa’s largest mobile operator—confirmed it would integrate Starlink satellite backhaul into its network and resell Starlink terminals and services in markets where regulators permit. The partnership allows Vodacom to expand coverage without bearing the full cost of ground infrastructure, supporting its ambition to reach 260 million customers by 2030.
“Adding low-earth orbit satellites will speed up coverage expansion and lift performance in rural pockets where signal quality and capacity are poor,” Vodacom noted.
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The tie-ups reflect a pragmatic recognition of geography and economics. More than 40% of Africa’s population remains unconnected to the internet, with many living in regions where rugged terrain, low population density, or insecurity make traditional network rollout prohibitively expensive.
Starlink’s constellation of low-earth orbit satellites offers lower latency and higher speeds than traditional geostationary satellites, enabling applications like cloud services, video conferencing, and digital payments in previously disconnected communities.
“For the first time, people across Africa will stay connected in remote areas where terrestrial coverage cannot reach,” said Stephanie Bednarek, Starlink’s Vice President of Sales.
Yet the partnerships also navigate complex regulatory landscapes. In South Africa, Starlink has been unable to obtain a direct licence due to rules requiring 30% local ownership by historically disadvantaged groups. By partnering with Vodacom, which holds existing spectrum and operating licences, Starlink gains a pathway to market without needing to comply with equity requirements directly.
Other African operators are pursuing similar space-based partnerships. MTN Group, the continent’s largest mobile operator, has been testing satellite services with multiple providers, while Kenya’s Safaricom has partnered with AST SpaceMobile for direct-to-cell testing.
Analysts reckon the collaborations reveal a maturation of Starlink’s strategy in emerging markets. A popular sentiment is that going solo in Africa is both regulatorily and commercially challenging, and partnering with entrenched telcos provides Starlink with scale and local expertise, while giving operators a leap forward in coverage without the need for decade-long infrastructure investments.
The partnerships are not without caveats. Satellite capacity is finite, and service quality depends on complementary ground investments in towers, power, and last-mile links. Pricing will also determine whether these services truly drive digital inclusion. Starlink’s standalone retail offerings remain out of reach for many low-income Africans, with hardware costs often exceeding USD 300.00 and monthly subscriptions around USD 50.00 in markets where they are available.
Nevertheless, the shift from potential rival to ally signals a wider trend in global telecoms showing convergence between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. In February 2024, Starlink successfully sent its first direct-to-cell text messages using T-Mobile spectrum in the United States, proving the technical feasibility ahead of deployments in emerging markets.
As Airtel, Vodacom, and possibly others fold satellite links into their networks, the narrative of disruption is being rewritten from a battle for the market to a coalition for connectivity.