Billionaire Elon Musk came to East Africa on a mission to vanquish the region’s two dominant mobile network operators, Safaricom and Airtel, but instead made peace with them and formed a partnership.
The key difference, however, lies in how Starlink is working with each telco. Safaricom is using satellites to strengthen its existing network, whereas Airtel is enabling phones to connect directly to Starlink satellites.
Under the agreement announced last month, Safaricom will primarily use Starlink satellites to transfer data between remote base stations and the core network, improving coverage without customers needing to interact directly with satellite services.
This month’s deal with Airtel Africa, on the other hand, allows ordinary phones to connect directly to satellites (direct-to-cell), eliminating the need for specialised devices or hardware installations.
These two models are reshaping how satellite technology is being adopted into Kenya’s telecoms market and the way users experience connectivity beyond traditional fibre and mobile infrastructure.
“A Safaricom user won’t know they’re using satellite backhaul; it’s a technology within the network. Mobile networks in Kenya already have satellite backhaul to a few hundred sites in remote parts of the country,” says Ben Roberts, principal advisor at consulting firm Digital Economy Advisors Limited.
“For Airtel’s direct-to-cell, it means your phone can work anywhere even in the remotest spots that are currently dead zones,” he adds.
These developments signal a shift from direct retail competition towards integration within existing telecommunications infrastructure and follow the American multinational’s two-year attempt to assert dominance in a rapidly digitalising economy.
The contrast between Starlink’s agreements with the country’s leading telcos highlights two distinct models for deploying satellite connectivity within Kenya’s mobile market.
Disruption and slow growth
While Safaricom’s partnership with Starlink focuses on using satellites for data backhaul to reinforce network coverage in remote areas, Airtel Africa’s agreement centres on direct-to-cell connectivity, enabling phones to connect without terrestrial towers.
Starlink entered the Kenyan market in July 2023 as a retail satellite internet provider, offering high-speed connectivity at a lower price than most fibre and fixed wireless alternatives.
The entry disrupted the internet service provider (ISP) market, triggering pricing adjustments and infrastructure investments among incumbent players seeking to retain customers in underserved and peri-urban regions.
Safaricom responded by raising regulatory and security concerns, arguing that uncoordinated satellite operations posed risks to network integrity, spectrum management and national communications oversight.
These objections culminated in legal challenges and formal submissions to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), calling for tighter controls on satellite internet licensing.
Despite this resistance, Starlink gained traction among users in areas with limited fibre penetration and inconsistent mobile broadband coverage.
However, by mid-2024, Starlink’s growth slowed after the company froze new subscriptions in parts of Nairobi, citing capacity constraints caused by high user density.
The freeze highlighted technical limitations of satellite networks in densely populated urban environments and prompted a reassessment of Starlink’s expansion strategy.
Rather than pursuing aggressive retail growth, Starlink began positioning itself as a complementary infrastructure provider to mobile network operators.
Boxes containing Starlink kits at Geek Tech Robotic supplies shop at Bazaar Plaza in Nairobi on November 11, 2024
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
This transition became apparent last month when Vodacom Group, Safaricom’s parent company, signed a pan-African agreement allowing its subsidiaries to integrate and resell Starlink services.
Satellite partnerships
Under the arrangement, Safaricom is authorised to use Starlink satellite capacity for data relay within its mobile network, particularly in rural and remote locations.
The partnership enables Safaricom to extend coverage without constructing extensive fibre links or additional base stations in sparsely populated areas.
For users, the service remains indistinguishable from conventional mobile connectivity, relying on existing Safaricom SIM cards, devices and pricing structures.
The satellite component operates in the background to support network performance, rather than functioning as a standalone consumer internet product.
Meanwhile, Safaricom continues to maintain other satellite partnerships, including an earlier agreement with Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile focused on satellite-to-phone connectivity.
The Kenyan market leader has stated that it will use multiple satellite providers to address different coverage and resilience requirements.
Airtel Africa’s partnership with Starlink, on the other hand, follows a different deployment model focused on direct-to-cell technology.
The arrangement allows standard mobile phones to connect directly to satellites only in areas without mobile signal, acting as a fallback rather than a primary connectivity option.
This model is intended to support users in remote regions, border areas, offshore locations, and sparsely populated zones where building mobile towers is not commercially viable.
Unlike Safaricom’s backhaul-focused integration, Airtel’s approach makes satellite connectivity available directly to end users during coverage gaps.
This reflects Airtel’s smaller terrestrial infrastructure footprint compared to Safaricom’s, as well as its strategy of extending reach without heavy capital expenditure.
Regulatory view
For regulators, these partnerships offer greater accountability by routing satellite services through licensed mobile operators rather than standalone providers.
The CA has previously indicated that it relies on international frameworks, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to manage satellite operations due to their cross-border nature.
“From a regulatory point of view, direct-to-cell will be more complex since these are nationally allocated frequencies. So coordination, especially near country borders, will be needed,” observes Roberts.
Routing satellite connectivity through mobile operators also aligns with national objectives to expand universal access while maintaining oversight of critical communications infrastructure.
Despite its early disruption, data shows that Starlink remains a minor player in Kenya’s retail internet market.
As of September 2025, Starlink accounted for just 0.8 percent of the local fixed internet market share with a total of 19,470 users, having added 2,045 new subscriptions in three months.
During the same period, terrestrial internet providers added significantly more users, reinforcing the dominance of fibre and mobile broadband in urban centres.
Safaricom, for instance, added 79,288 fixed internet customers during the period, raising its market share to 35.6 percent from 34.3 percent in June.
Starlink’s partnerships, therefore, reflect a strategic repositioning towards wholesale and infrastructure roles rather than mass-market retail expansion.
The boom and bust of Elon Musk's Starlink in Kenya
The shift has coincided with improvements in internet speeds and service quality across the market due to increased competition.
In response to Starlink’s entry, existing providers upgraded their networks and adjusted their pricing to retain customers.
President William Ruto publicly welcomed Starlink’s entry into Kenya, noting that increased competition had improved service delivery among established providers.
Satellite integration
Elon Musk has maintained a visible presence in Kenya through Starlink’s operations, positioning the country as a key African market for satellite connectivity.
Beyond consumer internet, Starlink’s infrastructure supports connectivity for government services, education platforms, health facilities, and mobile money systems in remote locations.
Safaricom’s shift from regulatory opposition to partnership further illustrates the sector’s adjustment to satellite integration.
The telco has acknowledged that partnerships offer faster and more cost-effective routes to extending coverage compared to exclusive reliance on fibre rollout.
Airtel’s deployment reflects similar economic considerations, using satellite connectivity to close gaps where traditional infrastructure investment is constrained.
Satellite connectivity now functions as an enabling layer within Kenya’s telecom ecosystem rather than a competing retail alternative.
The evolution marks a stabilisation of Starlink’s role following its disruptive market entry over two years ago.
