# Starlink expansion in Africa

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/starlink-expansion-in-africa
> Updated: 2026-08-24T09:04:00.000Z. Sources: 17. Developments: 3.

Starlink is expanding its satellite internet services across several African nations through various service models and partnerships.

In Kenya, the company introduced a ‘Residential Lite’ plan priced at KSh 4,000 per month to provide a lower-cost alternative for households. This budget-friendly option offers download speeds of up to 200 Mbps and is designed for everyday tasks such as streaming and remote work, compared to the standard Residential plan priced at KSh 6,500 per month.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Starlink partnered with Airtel Africa to launch ‘Direct-to-Cell’ technology, marking the first commercial rollout of satellite-to-mobile technology on the continent. This service enables compatible smartphones to access light data services like SMS and WhatsApp without additional hardware. While current speeds are below 1 Mbps, Airtel Africa intends to expand this service across 14 African markets following regulatory approvals.

Following these developments, Paratus Uganda—a joint venture between Paratus Group and Roke Telkom—launched Starlink’s low Earth orbit services in Uganda. This rollout follows an operational license agreement between the Uganda Communications Commission and Starlink. The service targets enterprise customers in remote sectors such as mining, healthcare, tourism, NGOs, and government. Paratus Uganda intends to integrate these satellite services with its existing terrestrial infrastructure, including the 2,000km Goma-to-Mombasa route, to offer resilient, multi-layered network solutions across East Africa.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-24: Paratus Uganda launches Starlink satellite services

Paratus Uganda is the first provider to launch Starlink’s satellite service in Uganda, offering high-speed connectivity to enterprises in remote areas.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/paratus-uganda-launches-starlink-satellite-services-1

### 2026-08-21: Paratus Uganda launches Starlink satellite services

Paratus Uganda has launched Starlink’s satellite services, becoming the first provider in the country to offer LEO connectivity to enterprise customers in remote and underserved areas.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/paratus-uganda-launches-starlink-satellite-services

### 2026-08-14: Starlink expands African services with new Kenya plans and DRC mobile launch

Starlink is expanding African connectivity with a new KSh 4,000 monthly internet plan in Kenya and the launch of Direct-to-Cell satellite-to-mobile services in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/starlink-expands-african-services-with-new-kenya-plans-and-drc-mobile-launch

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Cite as: Starlink expansion in Africa. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/starlink-expansion-in-africa