MTN Uganda Partners With Starlink to Bring Satellite Connectivity to Remote Areas
MTN Uganda has partnered with Starlink to extend satellite-enabled connectivity to enterprise customers operating in remote, underserved, and hard-to-reach areas across the country, adding Starlink’s low Earth orbit satellite capability to its enterprise solutions portfolio.
The partnership builds on MTN Group’s broader collaboration with Starlink and forms part of the Group’s wider strategy to use LEO satellite technology as a complementary layer to terrestrial networks, strengthening resilience and extending coverage where mobile and fibre infrastructure face practical limitations.
A Growing Satellite Ecosystem in Uganda
The MTN Uganda announcement is the latest development in what has become a rapidly expanding satellite connectivity landscape in the country since Uganda officially granted Starlink an operational licence in May 2026. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni personally witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding and operational licence agreement between the Uganda Communications Commission and Starlink on 15 May 2026.
Since then, momentum has built quickly. Paratus Uganda became the first provider in the country to commercially launch Starlink services on 24 August 2026. Furthermore, Airtel Uganda kicked off trials of Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell satellite technology in May 2026, following regulatory approval from the Uganda Communications Commission, with results expected to be made public if the trials conclude successfully.
Enterprise Focus Across Key Sectors
MTN Uganda’s initial offer will focus on enterprise customers in sectors where dependable connectivity is critical, including education, healthcare, agriculture, humanitarian response, energy, tourism, financial services, and government services.
MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Ms Sylvia Mulinge said the partnership adds an important capability to the company’s existing network and enterprise offering. “This partnership strengthens our ability to support enterprise customers in remote and underserved areas with reliable satellite-enabled connectivity. It adds an important capability to our existing network and enterprise solutions, helping us serve businesses, institutions and communities that need dependable connectivity beyond the reach of conventional infrastructure. It is also aligned to MTN Group’s wider satellite connectivity roadmap and our ambition to deliver the benefits of a modern connected life to everyone, everywhere,” she said.