India, Aug. 17 -- Airtel Africa is taking its partnership with SpaceX's Starlink into a new phase, offering selected Airtel customers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a 30-day free trial of satellite-to-mobile connectivity.

The service is designed for locations outside conventional mobile coverage, allowing compatible smartphones to connect directly to Starlink satellites without relying on a nearby mobile tower. Customers can register for the trial through the MyAirtel app, with the initial service focused on messaging and light-data applications rather than full mobile broadband.

The DRC rollout comes as Airtel Africa expands a programme that is intended to bring satellite connectivity to areas where extending terrestrial inf...