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The telco will also resell Starlink’s services to enterprise customers
Today, African mobile operator Vodacom has announced a new deal with SpaceX’s Starlink, aiming to use the latter’s satellite constellation to improve connectivity in rural Africa.
The partnership will see Starlink satellites provide backhaul services for Vodacom’s mobile networks, helping to enable better service to customers in remote regions and support the expansion of terrestrial network infrastructure.
In addition, Vodacom will also resell Starlink’s services directly to enterprise customers.
Starlink currently has around 8,900 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), which it primarily uses to connect consumers and enterprises in rural locations.
“Starlink is already serving people, businesses, and organizations in 25 African countries,” SpaceX Vice President Chad Gibbs said. “By collaborating with Vodacom, Starlink can deliver reliable, high-speed connectivity to even more customers.”
Vodacom itself serves roughly 223 million customers across its African footprint, which includes the DRC, Egypt, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, and its home market of South Africa. The company is also active in Kenya and Ethiopia as a part-owner of Safaricom.
“Low-Earth orbit satellite technology will help bridge the digital divide where traditional infrastructure is not feasible, and this partnership will unlock new possibilities for the unconnected,” said Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub.
The operator will require specific national regulatory approvals to use Starlink services in each of these markets. The timeline for these approvals has not been announced.
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