MTN Zambia completed Africa’s first Starlink direct-to-cell field test on March 6 — transmitting a satellite data session and a MoMo fintech transaction using MTN’s own spectrum. Airtel Africa has now signed up 14 markets. The continent’s two largest operators chose integration over competition, and the implications for rural fintech access are significant.
Africa’s Two Biggest Telcos Just Chose SpaceX: MTN Zambia First in Africa to Test Starlink Direct-to-Cell, Airtel Follows Across 14 Markets
