• Paratus Group launched Paratus Rwanda to deliver and install Starlink’s high-speed satellite broadband for businesses across the country.

• Starlink connectivity targets underserved regions, offering reliable internet to sectors like finance, government, tourism, and agriculture.

• Paratus enters a growing but underpenetrated market, challenging dominant ISPs with a future-ready solution amid rising demand for resilient enterprise connectivity.

Paratus Group, the pan-African telecommunications and network services provider managed since 2019 by Andrew Hall, a veteran in the telecommunication sector, has announced the launch of Paratus Rwanda. The new subsidiary will provide and install Starlink’s high-speed broadband services for businesses across Rwanda, the company revealed in a statement on October 22.

“We are building Africa’s quality network by investing in infrastructure, services, and people across the continent,” said Schalk Erasmus, CEO of Paratus Group. “Rwanda’s dynamic and fast-growing market aligns perfectly with our vision, and the addition of Paratus Rwanda strengthens our ability to serve customers with unmatched reach and reliability.”

Paratus was appointed as the exclusive African distributor of Starlink’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services in 2023, granting it the rights to roll out the technology in multiple markets across the continent. The launch of Paratus Rwanda marks another milestone in the Group’s mission to transform Africa through robust, future-ready digital infrastructure.

The group says the introduction of Starlink connectivity will particularly benefit businesses in remote and underserved regions where fibre and mobile networks remain limited. Key target sectors include finance, government, NGOs, retail, tourism, and agriculture — all of which increasingly depend on stable, high-speed internet to operate efficiently.

In recent years, Africa has faced repeated subsea cable disruptions, underscoring the need for resilient and redundant connectivity solutions. Rwanda is therefore become the 9^th market, with subsidiary offering satellite connection services. As for December 2024, Paratus claims it has “delivered an extended network through satellite connectivity services in over 35 African countries in the east, central and southern part of the region, and deployed five satellite teleports with 5 000 customer sites”. It has also made investment in satellite technologies, to allow EduVision deliver online e-learning to rural schools throughout Namibia.

“We are delighted to commence operations in Rwanda as this marks another significant move in our plan to connect more people across the continent,” said Martin Cox, Chief Commercial Officer of Paratus Group. “Through reliable internet access, we can help unlock economic potential and open new possibilities for businesses and communities.”

The launch comes at a time when Rwanda’s fixed broadband market is growing but remains in an early stage of development. According to the ICT Sector Statistics Report (Q2 2025) by the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), the number of active fixed broadband subscriptions rose by 16.2% year-on-year — from 74,165 in June 2024 to 86,173 in June 2025. This translates to just 0.616 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, underscoring low penetration and vast untapped potential for high-speed connectivity

The report further shows that GVA Rwanda leads the fixed broadband market with a 42.5% share, followed by Liquid Telecom (28.1%) and MTN Rwandacell (14.7%). Together, these top three providers control more than 85% of the fixed broadband market. Paratus’ entry with Starlink introduces new competition, particularly in the enterprise connectivity and satellite broadband segment, where reliable and redundant connectivity is increasingly demanded by businesses, government agencies, and NGOs.

Hikmatu Bilali