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How direct-to-cell satellite internet technology works
Satellite can be used to power cellular backhaul for traditional towers by serving as a high-speed, low-latency link to provide connectivity in remote areas or locations hard to reach with a terrestrial fibre network.
One of the world’s largest satellite internet providers, Starlink, recently signed a deal with Airtel Africa to introduce the American firm’s direct-to-cell (D2C) satellite technology to all of Airtel’s 14 African markets, including Kenya, in 2026.
This marks a major step in the continent’s telecommunications sector, where satellite technology has previously mainly been used to power internet providers’ cellular backhaul through traditional ground-based towers.
