MTN Zambia, Starlink first to Direct-to-Cell connectivity

Abbad Reda, CEO of MTN Zambia [Picture credit: MTN Zambia].

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According to the cellular operator, the testing process involved the transmission of the first-ever data session and fintech transaction in the country using MTN’s spectrum and Starlink’s satellite network.

While the telco is following in the footsteps of Airtel Africa, which is already listed as a global launch partner for Starlink Direct-to-Cell across its 14 markets, MTN says it has become the first to successfully complete a live field test of the service in Africa.

Although Airtel’s partnership establishes a sizeable regional roadmap for over 170 million subscribers, MTN’s successful trial in Zambia marks the first tangible technical execution of the technology on the continent. It also should be noted that MTN is the continent’s largest cellular telco, with over 300 million subscribers.

On MTN’s side, these milestones pave a path forward to commercial service in Zambia in the coming weeks, subject to regulatory approval.

According to MTN, Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell works with existing LTE/4G-compatible devices, wherever there is a clear view of the sky, enabling seamless connectivity in remote and urban locations.

The service acts like a cellphone tower in space, with advanced phased array antennas connecting seamlessly across the Starlink network via lasers to any point on the globe, enabling network integration similar to a standard roaming partner.

This service will support WhatsApp voice and video calls, along with access to the MoMo App, MyMTN App, navigation, and weather applications, with more launching in the future, the company highlighted.

Starlink’s satellite internet service is currently licensed to operate in more than 25 nations across the continent. It has disrupted Africa’s telecoms ecosystem, putting pressure on local mobile network operators to redefine their offerings in a region that has become a battleground for satellite internet. Subscribers are constantly looking for faster and cost-effective connectivity, propelled by a young and tech-savvy population.

“Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellite connectivity means MTN Zambia will expand coverage to the most remote areas; locations such as game parks and rural areas surrounded by water bodies and rivers will be covered,” noted MTN in a statement.

MTN joins a list of global partners such as T-Mobile (USA), Optus (Australia), Telstra (Australia), Rogers (Canada), One NZ (New Zealand), KDDI (Japan), Globe (Philippines), Salt (Switzerland), Entel (Chile), Entel (Peru), Kyivstar (Ukraine), VMO2 (UK), MasOrange (Spain), Beeline (Kazakhstan), and its African counterpart, Airtel Africa.