Airtel Madagascar has successfully completed the country’s first trial of SpaceX’s Direct-to-Cell satellite technology, demonstrating mobile connectivity directly from Starlink satellites to a standard 4G smartphone without the need for specialised hardware or satellite equipment. The trial took place on 11 July in Sadabe and was attended by Madagascar’s Minister of Digital Development, Posts and Telecommunications, Mahefa Andriamampiadana, alongside officials from the country’s communications regulator, ARTEC, and the National Bureau for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC).
According to the ministry, the trial also featured Madagascar’s first WhatsApp video call conducted over a direct-to-cell satellite connection. Unlike traditional Starlink satellite internet, which requires a satellite dish and dedicated equipment, Direct-to-Cell allows existing 4G devices to communicate with satellites using a mobile operator’s licensed spectrum and standard SIM cards.
The initiative builds on Airtel Africa’s broader collaboration with SpaceX, which also includes offering Starlink satellite broadband services to enterprise customers, schools and healthcare facilities in several African countries where the service has been licensed. The trial also highlights growing competition in the emerging direct-to-cell satellite communications market.
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