--- title: Infratel tests Starlink in Nigeria as backhaul option for rural NuRAN sites - Developing Telecoms description: NuRAN Wireless revealed on Tuesday that telecoms infrastructure service provider Infratel has launched a pilot at a rural NuRAN site in Nigeria to evaluate Starlink’s LEO satellite service as a potential backhaul solution. canonical_url: https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks/20872-infratel-tests-starlink-in-nigeria-as-backhaul-option-for-rural-nuran-sites.html language: en-GB date: 2026-09-24T06:54:17Z notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks/20872-infratel-tests-starlink-in-nigeria-as-backhaul-option-for-rural-nuran-sites.html. Schema.org structured data included at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers. markdown-tokens: 1337 --- > **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks/20872-infratel-tests-starlink-in-nigeria-as-backhaul-option-for-rural-nuran-sites.html. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content. > **Structured data** as JSON-LD may be found at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers. > **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above. NuRAN Wireless revealed on Tuesday that telecoms infrastructure service provider Infratel has launched a pilot at a rural NuRAN site in Nigeria to evaluate Starlink’s LEO satellite service as a potential backhaul solution. The Infratel pilot will integrate NuRAN's rural solution with Starlink’s LEO satellite connectivity to validate the performance, reliability, integration and cost efficiency of LEO backhaul at a commercial scale. NuRAN said the pilot will also see how LEO backhaul can not only accelerate 4G migration and higher-capacity rural connectivity, but also unlock potential new revenue streams at select rural sites for NuRAN's other infrastructure platform initiatives, such as edge AI, local compute and NuEnergy-related services. If the pilot is successful, it could create a copy-and-paste blueprint for NuRAN’s markets where it has installed rural connectivity solutions for telcos like Orange and MTN, and also where Starlink is legally available via licenced partners. Currently, that means [Democratic Republic of the Congo](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/wireless-networks/18303-nuran-misses-mobile-site-rollout-target-in-drc.html), [Benin](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/operator-news/17020-mtn-benin-taps-nuran-for-mobile-sites.html) and Côte d'Ivoire, the latter of which NuRAN expanded into [in June this year](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/telecom-investment-mergers/20368-nuran-announces-financing-milestone-and-expansion-into-cote-divoire.html). NuRAN has also deployed its rural connectivity solutions in [Cameroon](http://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/wireless-networks/16972-nuran-is-ready-to-boost-site-numbers-in-cameroon.html), where Starlink is still undergoing the licencing process. NuRAN Wireless director and CEO Francis Létourneau said that while the company will continue to prioritise terrestrial backhaul technologies when feasible, Starlink will broaden its backhaul options and thus its growth opportunities. “As we advance 4G migration, edge AI, NuEnergy and other infrastructure-led initiatives, our focus is on deploying scalable solutions that enhance the utility, capacity and long-term value of our rural site portfolio,” Létourneau said in a statement. “If this pilot performs the way we expect, we have a repeatable model we can take across our African footprint.” ```json { "@context": "http:\/\/schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "author": { "@id": "https:\/\/essential-reading.com\/#john_tanner_b807895845" }, "dateModified": "2026-09-24T06:54:17Z", "datePublished": "2026-09-24T06:54:17Z", "description": "NuRAN Wireless revealed on Tuesday that telecoms infrastructure service provider Infratel has launched a pilot at a rural NuRAN site in Nigeria to evaluate Starlink’s LEO satellite service as a potential backhaul solution.", "headline": "Infratel tests Starlink in Nigeria as backhaul option for rural NuRAN sites", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https:\/\/developingtelecoms.com\/images\/stories\/Places\/Cameroon_rural_fulani_herd_600.jpg", "caption": "", "description": "Infratel tests Starlink in Nigeria as backhaul option for rural NuRAN sites", "width": 600, "height": 450 } ], "inLanguage": "en-GB", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https:\/\/essential-reading.com\/telecom-technology\/satellite-communications-networks\/20872-infratel-tests-starlink-in-nigeria-as-backhaul-option-for-rural-nuran-sites.html" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https:\/\/essential-reading.com\/#defaultPublisher" }, "url": "https:\/\/essential-reading.com\/telecom-technology\/satellite-communications-networks\/20872-infratel-tests-starlink-in-nigeria-as-backhaul-option-for-rural-nuran-sites.html" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Tanner", "@id": "https:\/\/essential-reading.com\/#john_tanner_b807895845" }, { "@id": "https:\/\/essential-reading.com\/#defaultPublisher", "@type": "Organization", "url": "https:\/\/essential-reading.com\/", "logo": { "@id": "https:\/\/essential-reading.com\/#defaultLogo" }, "name": "Developing Telecoms" }, { "@id": "https:\/\/essential-reading.com\/#defaultLogo", "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https:\/\/developingtelecoms.com\/images\/stories\/highResLogos\/dt-site-logo-440.png", "width": "440", "height": "122" } ] } ```