NuRAN Wireless, in partnership with telecoms infrastructure service provider Infratel Africa, has launched a pilot at a rural site in Nigeria to evaluate Starlink's LEO satellite service as a potential backhaul solution.
According to NuRAN, it has no direct contractual or commercial relationship with Starlink or SpaceX in connection with the pilot.
The initiative will integrate NuRAN's rural solution with high-capacity LEO satellite connectivity — a combination management believes can unlock capacity, speed and site economics that were previously out of reach in remote regions across certain African countries.
The pilot is designed to demonstrate how LEO satellite backhaul can accelerate 4G migration, higher-capacity rural connectivity, and the company's broader infrastructure platform initiatives, including edge AI, local compute and NuEnergy.
If successful, the pilot could create a repeatable blueprint that NuRAN intends to roll out across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin and Cameroon, where Starlink service is licensed and available through third-party service providers.
NuRAN has said it views backhaul capacity as a significant driver in its evolution from a Network-as-a-Service provider toward a full-stack digital infrastructure platform.
For Infratel, the pilot builds on its extensive domestic footprint. Under its proprietary SMART RURAL initiative, the firm has already digitally connected over 400 rural communities across all geo-political zones in Nigeria using 100% renewable energy-powered systems.
The deployment also complements Infratel's ongoing rural transformation programmes alongside the Universal Service Provision Fund and Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, through which it previously migrated 100 remote locations to satellite-based hub platforms.
"The company expects to continue using terrestrial transmission technologies, including microwave and TV white space, where line of sight and local conditions support their deployment. In locations where terrestrial backhaul is constrained, costly or unavailable, management believes licensed LEO satellite service can transform the performance, scalability and profitability of NuRAN's owned rural infrastructure — turning hard-to-reach sites into high-value nodes," a statement said.
"Backhaul is the key that unlocks NuRAN's next phase of growth," said Francis Létourneau, director and CEO of NuRAN Wireless.
He continued: "Integrating Starlink service obtained through third-party service providers with our own rural solution could be a genuine step change for our business.
“As we advance 4G migration, edge AI, NuEnergy and other infrastructure-led initiatives, our focus is on deploying scalable solutions that enhance the utility, capacity and long-term value of our rural site portfolio.
“We have always said Starlink service is an opportunity for NuRAN, not a threat — and we are now putting that conviction to work through a service-provider-led pilot."
"Infratel values its long-standing relationship with NuRAN and the opportunity to support the evaluation of advanced connectivity solutions in Nigeria," said Tunji Alabi, managing director of Infratel. "Licensed Starlink service, made available through third-party service provider arrangements, offers a compelling way to bring LEO satellite backhaul into live commercial networks. We believe this initiative can meaningfully accelerate reliable, higher-capacity connectivity to underserved communities."
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