Starlink expands its services in Central African Republic

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by SpaceX and owned by Elon Musk, has officially launched in the Central African Republic (CAR), marking its 27th market in Africa.

The company announced the rollout on X, along with an update to its availability map, confirming that users in the country can now access its satellite-based broadband service.

“Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet is now available in the Central African Republic,” the company said in the announcement.

The launch marks Starlink’s second African expansion in 2026, following its entry into Senegal earlier this year, as the company accelerates efforts to scale connectivity across underserved regions on the continent.

Starlink received regulatory approval to operate in the Central African Republic on December 18, 2025, after the government granted it a licence to provide satellite internet services.

At the time, the Ministry of Digital Economy, Posts and Telecommunications said the move was part of broader efforts to expand national internet coverage and close the country’s digital access gap.

Starlink provides broadband internet through a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, allowing it to deliver connectivity to locations where traditional fibre or mobile infrastructure is limited.

Expanding internet access in underserved regions

The launch could play a significant role in improving connectivity across the Central African Republic, where internet access remains relatively low.

According to data from DataReportal, the country had an estimated population of about 5.4 million people as of January 2025.

Out of this population, roughly 2.97 million people were mobile telecom subscribers.

However, only about 839,000 people were using the internet, representing an online penetration rate of approximately 15.5 per cent.

The data highlights a significant digital gap, particularly in rural and remote communities where telecommunications infrastructure remains underdeveloped.

Starlink’s satellite-based system could help bridge that gap by delivering internet access to areas that are difficult to reach through conventional mobile networks or fibre cables.

The service could also support sectors such as digital payments, online education, business operations and government services that depend on reliable internet connectivity.

Also read: Warner Bros. Discovery confirms higher takeover bid from Paramount

Meanwhile, the number of mobile connections in the country increased by about 182,000 between the start of 2024 and early 2025, representing a 9.6 per cent growth.

This trend suggests rising demand for internet-enabled services across the country as more people gain access to mobile devices.

Pricing and competition challenges

Despite its potential benefits, affordability could remain a major challenge for Starlink in the Central African Republic.

The company has not yet announced official pricing for the country, but its subscription model in neighbouring Chad indicates what customers might expect.

In Chad, Starlink’s monthly subscription ranges between $32 (about CFA18,000) and $56 (about CFA32,000).

The hardware kit required to access the service typically costs between $205 (CFA117,000) and $403 (CFA228,000), depending on the model.

Such pricing could be expensive for many residents in the Central African Republic, which remains one of the world’s least developed economies.

Estimates show the country’s nominal GDP per capita ranged between $516 and $531 in 2024–2025, indicating limited purchasing power among large segments of the population.

Starlink will also face competition from existing telecom operators such as Telecel and Orange, which currently dominate the country’s mobile connectivity market.

These operators continue expanding their 4G networks in an effort to meet rising demand for data services.

However, Starlink’s satellite-based infrastructure may offer an advantage in remote areas where mobile networks struggle to deliver reliable connectivity.

As the company expands across Africa, its long-term success in markets like the Central African Republic will likely depend on balancing coverage improvements with pricing strategies that make the service accessible to more users.