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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Airtel Uganda on Thursday launched the country’s first satellite-to-mobile service in partnership with Starlink, making Uganda the second African nation after the Democratic Republic of Congo to commercially roll out the technology.
The service, unveiled at Kampala’s Marriott Hotel, allows compatible smartphones to send SMS and WhatsApp messages in areas without ground network coverage. ICT Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba and Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Director Nyombi Thembo graced the launch.
Airtel Uganda CEO Soumendra Sahu described the technology as a solution to persistent coverage gaps. “Where the road ends, our responsibility continues,” he said, explaining that traditional mobile networks require towers, power, and fuel generators that are difficult to deploy in remote areas.
ICT Minister Lumumba celebrated the launch as a national milestone with far-reaching economic implications. “This innovation — a first for Uganda and only 2nd in Africa — will deliver 100% geographical coverage, connecting our hard-to-reach communities, lakes, mountains and boosting tourism,” she said.
She was pleased to learn that coverage would reach the islands in the middle of Lake Victoria, near Migingo, where she hails from.
The minister underscored the government’s role in enabling the technology. “Government remains committed to a supportive policy environment that enables innovation to solve real problems and transform Uganda into a digitally enabled society.”
She closed with praise for the operator: “I congratulate Airtel for pioneering this and leading innovation.”
The service offers customers a 30-day free trial through the MyAirtel app. After the trial period, users will purchase a data bundle of at least 2,000 Ugandan shillings to continue. Satellite connectivity activates only when a phone loses all ground signal — if even one bar remains, the device continues using the terrestrial network.
The rollout follows Airtel Africa’s partnership agreement with SpaceX, announced in December 2025, to introduce Starlink direct-to-cell services across its 14 markets. The DRC became the first African country to commercialize the service in August 2026.
UCC Director Thembo described the collaboration as a defining moment for Ugandan connectivity. “This collaboration marks a transformative milestone, harnessing cutting-edge satellite technology to expand connectivity across Uganda,” he said.
“At the Uganda Communications Commission, our primary mission is to build a modern, accessible, and inclusive communications sector,” he said. “To achieve this, we licensed Starlink to provide satellite services and enabled infrastructure-sharing arrangements with established operators.”
Thembo reiterated that national mobile operators are bound by licensing conditions requiring them to reach the country’s most difficult terrain. “Under their licensing conditions, national mobile operators must achieve 90% geographical coverage, extending reliable networks to traditionally hard-to-reach terrains such as islands, mountainous regions, and dense forests,” he said.
The occasion was capped with a 1-minute musical tribute to Ugandan legend, music maestro Moses Matovu who was murdered Thursday morning.
