• Starlink launches commercial services in the Central African Republic to expand nationwide internet coverage.
• The service costs $57.76 per month plus equipment fees, far above affordability thresholds.
• Authorities see satellite connectivity as a way to bridge gaps in a country where 86% of people remain offline.

U.S. satellite internet provider Starlinkhas launched commercial services in the Central African Republic, extending its expansion across Africa. The company entered the African market through Nigeriain January 2023 and has since expanded into around 30 countries, including Rwanda, Senegal, Benin, Ghana, Niger, Chadand Kenya.

The company announced on Monday, March 16, 2026 that it has made its services available in the Central African market. Authorities aim to use this technology to improve internet quality and expand coverage nationwide, including in remote areas.

The Ministry of Digital Economy, Posts and Telecommunicationssaid in a Facebook statement that the launch follows a partnership with local IT equipment distributor DEVEA Centrafrique.

Customers must pay a monthly subscription of CFA33,000 ($57.76), excluding a 19% value-added tax. Users must also purchase equipment before accessing the service. The company offers a standard kit priced at CFA240,000 ($420.5)and a smaller “Mini” kit priced at CFA123,000. These pricing levels could limit adoption in a low-income market.

Promise of Universal Connectivity

Authorities expect Starlink to help reduce the digital divide. About 86% of the population did not use the internet in 2024, according to the International Telecommunication Union.

“In relying on high-speed satellite solutions, Starlink aims to expand national coverage and strengthen communication resilience in a country facing significant terrestrial infrastructure challenges,” the ministry said in a December 2025 statement issued after granting the license to the company owned by Elon Musk. 

Starlink operates a constellation of about 10,000 low-Earth orbit satellites, which enables nationwide coverage, including in areas that terrestrial networks cannot easily reach.  The GSMA said satellite and other non-terrestrial solutions will play a key role in achieving universal connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“The region hosts some of the most challenging terrains for terrestrial networks, including rainforests, deserts and mountain ranges,” the GSMA said in its report The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2024. The organization added that deployment costs and complexity make alternative solutions more attractive, even in sparsely populated rural areas.

The GSMA assigned the Central African Republic a score of 30 out of 100 for mobile network coverage in 2024. Second-generation networks covered 59.6% of the population, while third-generation networks covered 60%. Fourth-generation and fifth-generation networks remain unavailable in the country.

The GSMA assigned a performance score of 4.2 out of 100. Data from Ooklashowed average speeds of 5.4 Mbps for mobile downloadsand 7 Mbps for uploads.

Adoption Challenges Persist

However, expanded coverage does not automatically translate into adoption. High service costs remain a key barrier across the continent.

The monthly subscription of $57.76 represents about 136% of monthly gross national income per capita, based on an annual GNI per capita of $510 in 2024, according to the World Bank.  This level far exceeds the 2% affordability threshold  defined by the International Telecommunication Union. The ITU estimated that 5 GB of mobile data cost about 53.7% of monthly income in 2025, while fixed internet cost about 76.6%.

Other structural barriers also affect adoption. Consumers still face limited access to compatible devices such as smartphones, tablets and computers.

The GSMA estimated that the cost of a smartphone represents about 26% of monthly GDP per capitain Sub-Saharan Africa. Additional constraints include digital literacy gaps, security concerns, social norms, limited local content and overall user experience.

Isaac K. Kassouwi