Paratus Group, a Pan-African telecommunications and network services provider, is making strides in its continental expansion with the establishment of Paratus Rwanda. This new venture will offer and implement Starlink services to deliver high-speed internet connectivity to businesses across Rwanda.
In 2023, Paratus secured exclusive rights as the African distributor for Starlink’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite services, positioning itself to provide satellite connectivity in various African markets. The launch of Paratus Rwanda represents a pivotal achievement in the company’s mission to enhance Africa’s digital infrastructure and services.
“We are committed to constructing a superior African network by investing in infrastructure, services, and talent. The vibrant and rapidly developing market in Rwanda aligns seamlessly with our vision. Establishing Paratus Rwanda bolsters our capacity to serve customers with unmatched reliability and reach,” stated Schalk Erasmus, CEO of Paratus Group.
Paratus Rwanda will focus on key sectors including retail, financial services, government, NGOs, agriculture, and tourism. The initiative is expected to greatly benefit enterprises in remote and underserved regions lacking traditional infrastructure.
Past disruptions from subsea cable outages in the region have led many businesses and institutions to seek reliable connectivity solutions. Paratus Rwanda aims to provide resilient alternatives. This new entity will facilitate the installation of Starlink services to ensure that businesses stay connected with high-speed internet.
“We are thrilled to initiate operations in Rwanda, marking a significant step in our goal to connect more individuals throughout Africa. It’s exciting to unlock potential in Rwanda and open up a world of opportunities through internet access,” commented Martin Cox, Chief Commercial Officer of Paratus Group.
Paratus explains that Starlink utilises a straightforward, scalable hardware platform to deliver high-speed broadband globally. Designed to operate independently of local infrastructure, Starlink ensures reliable service with multiple pathways back to the Internet. According to the company, Starlink maintains over 99.5% uptime for all customers, with even higher uptime for unobstructed installations, considering weather and localised outages.
Starlink currently services thousands of business locations, offering primary or backup enterprise connectivity, land mobility, and temporary setups for emergency services.
Paratus Group operates in 16 African countries and manages an intercontinental fibre network alongside satellite infrastructure, including the landing of the Equiano subsea cable. The company also runs data centres and network services, including LEO satellite capabilities.
In recent years, Paratus has achieved several milestones, including the launch of the first private mobile network in Namibia with LTE and 5G technologies in September 2025. The company also unveiled the fastest “fibre express route” from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Europe in April 2024, utilising Google’s Equiano undersea cable.
Additional developments include two cross-border fibre links established between Mozambique and South Africa in October 2023 and a reseller agreement to deliver Starlink’s satellite internet services throughout Africa announced in September 2023. Furthermore, Paratus Botswana completed a metro fibre ring around Gaborone in June 2023, enhancing connectivity for local businesses and residents.
In November 2022, Paratus signed a multi-year contract with OneWeb to establish a satellite gateway in Luanda, Angola, the first of several planned OneWeb gateways in Africa, to provide LEO satellite services to numerous countries in the region.