STARLINK LANDS IN UGANDA! Roke Telkom, Paratus Uganda First To Fire Up Satellite Internet
KAMPALA — The satellite internet race has officially blasted off in Uganda, with Roke Telkom and Paratus Uganda taking the lead as the first provider to bring Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit satellite service to the local market.
The breakthrough follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding and operational licence agreement between the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and Starlink on May 15, 2026, clearing the way for the new generation of high-speed, low-latency satellite connectivity.
For Roke Telkom, the development marks a major expansion of its connectivity arsenal and puts the home-grown internet service provider at the centre of Uganda’s fast-changing telecommunications landscape.
Paratus Uganda, launched last year through a joint venture between pan-African telecommunications giant Paratus Group and Kampala-based Roke Telkom, is now moving to connect enterprises that have long struggled with unreliable or unavailable terrestrial infrastructure.
The company is targeting customers in mining, healthcare, tourism, NGOs and government, particularly those operating deep in remote and underserved areas where fibre connectivity can be difficult and expensive to deploy.
The Starlink service is also expected to strengthen the resilience of businesses already connected to Paratus Uganda’s network by adding satellite connectivity to its existing infrastructure.
Paratus Uganda has been supporting customers through the 2,000-kilometre protected Goma-to-Mombasa route, while benefiting from Paratus Group’s wider East-West Southern Africa backbone, redundancy systems and value-added network services.
Paratus Uganda Country Manager Edwin Kyambadde said the company had been receiving strong demand from enterprise customers eager for LEO satellite connectivity.
“There has been significant demand for LEO services from enterprise customers who have been waiting for Starlink to become available in Uganda,” Kyambadde said.
“Now that Starlink is licensed, the hard work begins as we connect customers across the country.”
Kyambadde described the development as a game-changer for businesses operating beyond the reach of conventional infrastructure.
Paratus Group Chief Commercial Officer Martin Cox said Uganda’s entry into the Starlink network would further advance the group’s strategy of creating a seamless, multi-layered telecommunications network across Africa.
Uganda becomes the ninth African country where Paratus Group will offer Starlink services.
“Satellite plays a critical role in extending our reach into areas where terrestrial infrastructure is limited,” Cox said.
He said customers in Uganda and across East Africa would benefit from greater resilience, faster deployment and borderless connectivity.
But behind the satellite breakthrough is Roke Telkom, a Ugandan telecommunications player with nearly two decades of experience in the local market.
Established in 2006, Roke is a UCC-licensed internet service provider that has built its reputation around connectivity and enterprise support.
Through the partnership with Paratus Group, Roke brings its deep knowledge of the Ugandan market and established customer base, while Paratus contributes its pan-African network reach and satellite connectivity capabilities.
The combination could prove particularly valuable for businesses working in locations where conventional fibre infrastructure has yet to reach.
From remote mining sites and tourism facilities to health centres, government operations and humanitarian projects, Starlink’s satellite-based connectivity offers the possibility of rapidly bringing reliable internet services to areas where traditional infrastructure remains limited.
The Roke Telkom-Paratus Uganda partnership therefore puts Uganda’s locally established ISP at the heart of the country’s Starlink rollout, combining local expertise, regional infrastructure and satellite technology in what could become a major new chapter in Uganda’s connectivity story.
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