Airtel Nigeria on Thursday announced its partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink, signaling a technological shift which would integrate “Direct-to-Cell” satellite technology into the existing mobile ecosystem.
The Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, who made this know at a news conference in Lagos, said that the technology would bridge the digital divide and conquer Nigeria’s most difficult terrains.
Balsingh said that the partnership, set to go live in 2026, would provide a solution for the estimated 12 per cent of the population still living outside the reach of traditional terrestrial masts.
According to him, unlike the bulky, expensive satellite phones of the past, the new Starlink “Direct-to-Cell” system utilises a constellation of approximately 650 advanced satellites that act like “cell towers in space.”
“The world has moved forward. A decade ago, smartphone penetration was below 10 per cent.
“Today, it is over 50 per cent as technology advances, it moves toward broader adaptability at lower costs.
“SpaceX’s innovations have brought satellite connectivity within reach for the average consumer,’’ he said.
According to him, the service is specifically targeted at zero-network zones, agricultural hubs, desert frontiers and mountainous regions—where building a physical mast is logistically impossible due to a lack of access roads.
Balsingh said that customers moving from city centres to rural farms would automatically switch from terrestrial 4G/5G to satellite without changing SIM cards or devices.
He said that traders and farmworkers in remote areas would gain access to USSD and mobile money SmartCash services, which previously required traveling to urban centres.
The chief executive officer said that the satellite link would serve as a critical redundant path, ensuring connectivity remained active, even when terrestrial fiber-optic cables are vandalised.
According to him, Airtel is simultaneously fortifying its earth-based infrastructure.
Balsingh said that 99 per cent of its current sites are now 4G-enabled, effectively phasing out voice-only infrastructure in Nigeria.
“We do not roll out voice-only sites anymore, every new site is a high speed mobile broadband site.”
He said that there was a massive expansion of its 5G network in urban centres, complemented by outdoor 5G routers designed to bring fiber-like speeds to homes and businesses without the need for physical cabling.
According to him, with over 700 new sites rolled out in the last six months and the 2026 satellite goal on the horizon, the focus for the telecommunications giant remains bridging the digital divide.
