Kenya’s internet market is on the verge of a seismic shift. After years of heavy reliance on fibre optics, mobile broadband towers, and terrestrial infrastructure, a new player in town is poised to disrupt the game — satellite internet.
At the heart of this disruption is Starlink, launched by Elon Musk’s SpaceX and other satellite providers, whose ambitions now stretch far beyond rural connectivity.
In a recent online video clip circulating on the microblogging platform X — validated by Musk himself — the billionaire revealed a revolutionary next phase for Starlink: direct satellite-to-mobile phone communication.
“There will be no dead zone anywhere in the world for your cell phone,” Musk declared. “Your phone will still work even if there are no cell towers.”
This declaration, made about Starlink’s growing partnership with American telecoms giant T-Mobile, hints at more than just improved rural access — it portends a direct challenge to traditional internet service providers (ISPs), mobile network operators (MNOs), and national infrastructure models.
The satellite-to-mobile service — which does not require traditional ground infrastructure like masts, fibre-optic cables, or cell towers — is a radical shift from how connectivity has traditionally been delivered.
Instead of routing data through ground stations, Starlink satellites orbiting just 550 km above the Earth will be able to beam signals straight to smartphones equipped with compatible chips.
The implications are massive. Kenya, a country where MNOs like Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom Kenya have spent billions laying fibre and building 4G and now 5G towers, now faces the possibility of being leapfrogged — not by local competitors, but by global satellite networks operating well outside national borders.
As of July 2025, Starlink services are already available across much of Kenya, mostly targeting rural and underserved areas.
According to Dot Savvy founder, Moses Kemibaro, Starlink shook up the status quo in terms of offerings, which appeared to be a new, bright, and shiny internet service, it is quite expensive for most Kenyans, both for onboarding and sustenance.
“The last time I checked, Starlink had around 19,000+ users, whereas most of its competitors on the ground have many more users and charge less in general.”
“We also see that Starlink works best when in rural or underserved areas of Kenya, compared to the major towns and cities where high-quality internet is generally widely available. I get the sense that Starlink will be most successful in rural and peri-urban Kenya on this basis.”
Monthly packages have dropped significantly since their launch, with basic consumer plans now starting at around Sh3,500, thanks to increased satellite deployment and regulatory clarity.
Already, Airlines are adopting the technology, with Qatar Airways last month introducing in-flight streaming on select aircraft, equipped with Starlink Wi-Fi, allowing passengers to stream global sporting action directly to their devices during flights.
“As the first global airline to introduce Starlink’s high-speed connectivity combined with live sports streaming, we are proud to bring passengers closer to the sporting moments that matter most - wherever they are in the world, even if it is 35,000 feet,” said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer.
But the satellite-to-mobile technology — expected to roll out fully in 2026 — introduces a new frontier: ubiquitous mobile connectivity without national operators.
From an investor’s standpoint, this development is both thrilling and unsettling.
Traditional ISPs and mobile companies in Kenya have been high on investors’ radars, particularly due to the growing demand for mobile data, fintech integration, and digital lifestyle services.
Safaricom, the region’s most valuable telco, has long been the darling of the Nairobi Securities Exchange, commanding a 40 per cent market share in mobile data and dominating mobile money with M-PESA.
However, satellite internet — and especially direct-to-device capability — challenges the economics of telco investment. Already, global venture capital has started flowing differently. African-focused digital infrastructure funds that once supported terrestrial cable and mobile tower expansions are now eyeing partnerships with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite firms — not just Starlink, but Amazon’s Project Kuiper and OneWeb, which are also eyeing the African market.
Moreover, Kenya’s public and private investors are being forced to rethink long-term strategies.
Local telco firms' 5G rollout in the country, although promising for urban bandwidth, may face limited return on investments in sparsely populated areas.
Meanwhile, smaller ISPs that depended on reselling fibre access or erecting local towers may find themselves priced out of relevance.
Perhaps the most politically sensitive implication of satellite internet lies in the erosion of national control over communication infrastructure.
The Starlink-T-Mobile deal — where a US-based satellite company partners with a telecom entity 42 per cent owned by German stakeholders — effectively creates a cross-border communication system that bypasses Kenya’s Communications Authority, its cybersecurity laws, and, possibly, its tax regime.
In Kenya, internet providers must obtain licenses, submit to regulatory audits, and contribute to the Universal Service Fund.
But satellite signals beaming from space to devices may challenge this setup. How does one regulate a signal that doesn’t touch local towers? How do you enforce lawful interception or data protection rules?
Already, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) is in consultations with global regulators and African telecom alliances on how to manage this shift.
A proposed regional policy framework is being floated by the African Telecommunications Union, aimed at harmonizing licensing and compliance expectations for satellite operators.
Kenya’s internet penetration, at around 48 per cent by early 2025, still leaves millions in remote areas offline or poorly connected.
Terrestrial providers have struggled to justify commercial investment in low-density regions.
Starlink’s model — now with the promise of direct-to-phone — could finally bridge this long-standing digital divide.
In the arid zones of Isiolo, Marsabit, and West Pokot, community health workers and teachers who once relied on patchy 2G signals may soon have real-time video, GPS, and cloud access.
Disaster relief and climate monitoring services could operate with seamless connectivity even during floods or wildfires, when local towers often go down.
In urban areas, redundancy and faster speeds are also attractive. Nairobi tech hubs are exploring satellite failovers to protect against fibre cable cuts or cyberattacks on terrestrial infrastructure.
Some fintech firms have begun pilot testing Starlink nodes as part of their business continuity plans.
Despite a massive global outage that hit the ‘Elon Musk baby’ on Thursday, 24, the global tech giants hold that the 2025–2026 period is expected to be pivotal.
Starlink has hinted at a major firmware update that will enable compatible smartphones to link directly with LEO satellites, initially in texting mode, later followed by voice and limited data.
