Direct-to-Cell Satellite Trials

Airtel Madagascar Tested Starlink Direct-to-Cell In Madagascar

Airtel Madagascar completed a Direct-to-Cell trial using SpaceX’s Starlink Direct-to-Cell, connecting a standard 4G smartphone to satellites beyond terrestrial coverage and featuring WhatsApp voice and video calls over the link. The test, held July 11 in Sadabe, used handsets without specialised satellite hardware and demonstrated messaging, streaming and social access via the satellite connection.

The demonstration included officials from Madagascar’s telecom regulator ARTEC and the ministry of digital development, and forms part of a wider Airtel Africa partnership with SpaceX that began in 2025. The trial followed earlier tests in Kenya and explored handset compatibility, service types and use cases while regulatory approval remains pending.

For consumers, handset-level satellite connectivity promises continuity of communication in remote or disaster-affected areas by letting phones talk directly to orbiting networks when cell towers fail. The trial highlights a growing trend to layer satellite links onto mobile networks to extend coverage and emergency resilience.

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