Is SpaceX StarLink launched for Africa?
On 23 May 23 2019, SpaceX successfully launched the 1st 60 satellites of the planned 12,000 low orbit satellite constellation as the start of Elon Musk’s audacious 10-year $10-billion broadband space programme. SpaceX just took a giant leap toward making global internet coverage a reality as its fifth Falcon 9 rocket of the year took flight, sending 60 internet-beaming satellites into space.…
Kenya and Tanzania Deepen Regulatory Cooperation on Satellite Communications
Source: CAK
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) undertook a two-day benchmarking visit to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) as both regulators deepen cooperation on satellite communications, with a particular focus on regulating Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services. The engagement centred on the exchange of experiences and regulatory approaches as satellite…
Eutelsat’s Africa Revenue Fell 32% in FY2025-26, Even as Its LEO Business Nearly Doubled
Source: Eutelsat
Eutelsat Communications filed its consolidated financial statements for the financial year ended 30 June 2026 on 6 August 2026, and the headline for Africa is stark: revenue from the region fell to EUR 72.0 million, down 32.3% from EUR 106.4 million a year earlier, and now just 5.8% of Group revenue, down from 8.6%. That is a sharper and faster decline than the modest…
The Satellite in Your Pocket: Africa’s High-Stakes Bet on Direct-to-Device
Source: AI-generated image
On 16 December 2025, Airtel Africa did something no mobile operator on the continent had done before. It signed an agreement with SpaceX to bring Starlink's Direct-to-Cell service to all 14 of its markets, an area serving 174 million customers. From 2026, subscribers with compatible smartphones standing in places their network has never quite reached, a fishing…
Airtel Kenya Seeks Regulatory Approval to Launch Direct-to-Cell Service
Source: Star
Airtel Kenya is awaiting approval from the Communications Authority of Kenya to launch a Direct-to-Cell satellite service in partnership with SpaceX, making it the first mobile operator in the country to offer direct satellite-to-phone connectivity.
The proposed service would allow compatible smartphones to connect directly to SpaceX's low Earth orbit satellites whenever…
Cape Verde Opens Public Consultation on New Satellite Communications Regulatory Framework
Source: ARME
Cape Verde's Multisectoral Regulatory Agency for the Economy (ARME) has launched a public consultation on a proposed regulatory framework for satellite communication networks and services in the country, with submissions open until 31 August 2026.
The proposed regulation aims to establish a modern, transparent, and technology-neutral framework governing the offer, operation,…
Madagascar Becomes the Third African Market to Trial Direct-to-Cell Satellite Connectivity
Source: TechAfrica News
Madagascar has become the third African market to test direct-to-cell satellite connectivity, after Airtel Madagascar completed a live trial in partnership with SpaceX and the Ministry of Digital Development, Posts and Telecommunications (MNDPT). The demonstration took place in Sadabe on 11 July, in the presence of Minister Mahefa Andriamampiadana, officials from the…
Amazon Leo Partners with South Africa’s Largest ISP to Launch Satellite Internet Service in 2027
From left to right: Dietlof Mare (group CEO at Maziv), Solly Malatsi (Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies), Van Zyl Botha (CEO and co-founder of Herotel), and David Zapolsky (chief global affairs and legal officer at Amazon). Source: Amazon News
Amazon Leo has entered into an agreement with Herotel, South Africa's largest fixed internet service provider (ISP), to bring…
Connected but Unreachable: The Unsolved Challenge of Access Beyond Satellite Connectivity
For decades, the digital divide was framed as a problem of physical reach. Vast rural landscapes, low population density, and difficult terrain made last-mile connectivity expensive and slow to scale. Traditional terrestrial networks, such as fibre and cellular towers, require high per-user capital expenditure in sparsely populated regions, often making rural rollout commercially unattractive.…
Ghana and Tanzania Communication Authorities Deepen Collaboration on Satellite Communications
Members of the TCRA delegation with NCA staff. Source: NCA
The National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana hosted a delegation from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) on a benchmarking visit in Accra, aimed at strengthening regulatory collaboration and knowledge exchange in satellite communications services. The visit is part of TCRA’s broader efforts to gain…