By Mulengera Reporters
Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has backed Airtel Uganda’s partnership with Starlink to provide satellite-to-mobile connectivity, describing the initiative as a significant step toward expanding communications services to hard-to-reach, unserved and underserved parts of the country.
UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo joined Minister of ICT and National Guidance Justine Kasule Lumumba and Airtel Uganda Managing Director and CEO Soumendra Sahu at the launch of the partnership at the Marriott Hotel in Nsambya.
The service will use satellite technology to extend connectivity to areas where conventional mobile infrastructure is unavailable or difficult to deploy, including remote islands, mountainous areas, forests and national parks.
Thembo said the partnership demonstrates how regulation, infrastructure sharing and emerging technologies can be combined to address Uganda’s connectivity gaps.
He said UCC had licensed Starlink to provide satellite services and enabled infrastructure-sharing arrangements with established telecommunications operators as part of efforts to build a more accessible and inclusive communications sector.
“Whether through terrestrial masts or orbital satellites, our ultimate priority is to ensure every Ugandan, regardless of location, has access to essential communications services,” Thembo said.
According to the UCC executive director, national mobile operators are required under their licensing obligations to achieve at least 90 percent geographical coverage, including challenging terrains such as islands, mountains and dense forests.
He said UCC would monitor the rollout of the Airtel-Starlink service and require regular reports from the companies involved to identify challenges and ensure that the service meets required standards for quality, reliability and consumer protection.
Minister Lumumba said the satellite-to-mobile service was a first for Uganda and would help address some of the limitations associated with conventional telecommunications infrastructure.
She said the technology would enable connectivity in hard-to-reach communities, including areas around lakes and mountains, while also supporting sectors such as tourism.
“Government remains committed to a supportive policy environment that enables innovation to solve real problems and transform Uganda into a digitally enabled society,” Lumumba said.
Airtel Uganda said the satellite-to-mobile service is intended primarily for locations without conventional mobile network coverage, where the construction of traditional telecommunications infrastructure can be technically or economically challenging.
The partnership therefore seeks to complement existing mobile networks rather than replace conventional infrastructure, extending communication services to areas that have historically remained outside reliable network coverage.
The launch represents another step in Uganda’s efforts to expand geographical access to telecommunications services through a combination of traditional infrastructure, infrastructure sharing and satellite technology.
UCC said it would continue to maintain a technology-neutral regulatory approach while ensuring that new investments and innovations contribute to wider connectivity, quality of service and protection of consumers. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
