NCC Backs Satellite Direct-to-Phone Services to Close Rural Connectivity Gap

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), is backing satellite-based direct-to-phone technology as a key tool for closing the country’s long-standing rural connectivity gap.

The policy direction was contained in the Commission’s draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector (2025–2030), which identified Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite services as a practical way to extend mobile voice and data coverage to areas where traditional telecom infrastructure has struggled to reach. The technology allows satellites to connect directly to regular smartphones, without the need for special devices or ground-based base stations.

According to the NCC, relying solely on towers and fibre is no longer sufficient to achieve universal coverage. Many rural and remote communities face difficult terrain, insecurity, frequent fibre cuts, high diesel costs and vandalism, making network expansion slow, risky and expensive.

To address these challenges, the regulator is placing greater emphasis on non-terrestrial networks, particularly satellite systems, as a complementary layer to existing mobile networks. The roadmap highlights the role of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, alongside traditional geostationary satellites and emerging high-altitude platforms, in delivering broadband and strengthening mobile backhaul in hard-to-reach areas.

The policy shift comes as private-sector players are moving in the same direction. In December 2025, Airtel Africa announced a partnership with SpaceX to deploy Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite service across 14 African countries, including Nigeria. The service is expected to allow Airtel customers with compatible LTE smartphones to send messages, access limited data services and eventually make voice calls in areas with no mobile signal.

In the NCC’s assessment, satellite D2D technology could help eliminate signal blackspots in riverine communities, border regions and vast rural areas currently beyond the reach of mobile towers. The Commission also sees the technology as a resilience tool that can keep basic communications running during fibre cuts, power outages or emergencies.

Beyond consumer connectivity, the roadmap notes that satellite direct-to-phone services could support public safety, disaster response, agriculture monitoring, Internet of Things (IoT) applications and other digital services in underserved regions.

The NCC is also encouraging partnerships between mobile network operators and satellite providers, including shared use of radio spectrum. Such collaboration, the regulator said, would reduce deployment costs, improve spectrum efficiency and accelerate coverage expansion. Similar regulatory approaches have already been adopted in markets such as the United States, Canada and Australia.

Nigeria’s rural connectivity gap remains wide. While mobile subscriptions have crossed 170 million and broadband penetration has continued to rise, access in rural areas still lags far behind urban centres. Industry analysts say issues such as fibre vandalism, high operating costs, multiple taxation and right-of-way disputes have slowed progress, putting pressure on existing policy targets.

Against this backdrop, the NCC’s endorsement of satellite direct-to-phone services signals a broader shift toward using both terrestrial and space-based networks to achieve wider digital inclusion. For operators such as MTN and Globacom, the policy could open the door to similar satellite partnerships, offering a cost-effective path to extending coverage in low-density areas.

If fully implemented, satellite direct-to-phone technology could become a critical bridge in Nigeria’s push to connect millions of people still living beyond the reach of traditional mobile networks—bringing basic communications, digital services and emergency connectivity closer to universal access.