MTN Uganda Brings Starlink Connectivity to Businesses in Remote Areas

MTN Uganda has partnered with Starlink to expand reliable internet connectivity to businesses and institutions operating in some of the country’s most remote and underserved areas.

The partnership brings Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit satellite technology into MTN Uganda’s enterprise connectivity solutions, giving organisations another option in locations where traditional mobile networks and fibre infrastructure can be difficult or expensive to establish.

The move is expected to benefit sectors that increasingly depend on stable internet connections to maintain operations and deliver services, including healthcare, education, agriculture, tourism, energy, financial services, humanitarian organisations and government institutions.

MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer Sylvia Mulinge said the partnership will help the company reach enterprise customers whose operations extend beyond areas adequately served by conventional telecommunications infrastructure.

“This partnership strengthens our ability to support enterprise customers in remote and underserved areas with reliable satellite-enabled connectivity,” Mulinge said.

She noted that Starlink will complement MTN Uganda’s existing network and enterprise offerings, allowing the company to provide connectivity to businesses and institutions that require dependable internet access in hard-to-reach locations.

According to Mulinge, the initiative also forms part of MTN Group’s broader ambition to use satellite technology alongside its terrestrial networks to expand access to digital services.

The partnership is particularly significant for organisations whose operations cannot easily be relocated closer to major urban centres or fibre-connected areas. For example, businesses operating in remote agricultural regions, tourism facilities, energy projects and humanitarian operations can face connectivity challenges when conventional infrastructure is unavailable.
Through satellite connectivity, such organisations can potentially maintain access to digital communication and online services without waiting for extensive terrestrial network infrastructure to be deployed.

The Uganda initiative is part of MTN Group’s broader exploration of low Earth orbit satellite technology as a complementary layer to traditional telecommunications networks across its markets.

MTN says the approach is intended not to replace its existing mobile and fibre infrastructure, but to strengthen network resilience and extend connectivity to areas where conventional solutions face geographical or practical limitations.

The development also comes as satellite-based connectivity becomes increasingly important in Africa’s efforts to close the digital divide, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach communities.

For Uganda, the MTN-Starlink partnership could therefore provide another route for businesses and institutions outside major urban centres to participate more fully in the country’s growing digital economy.
The initiative adds to the growing presence of satellite connectivity partnerships in Uganda, as telecommunications companies explore new ways of reaching areas that remain difficult to cover using conventional infrastructure alone.