Advancements in technology such as low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites and advanced wireless links are powering Kenya’s internet growth as networks race to get more people connected.
Latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows fixed internet subscriptions grew 32.4 percent between June 2025 and June 2026.
Fibre optic is the largest fixed internet technology, with subscriptions rising to 1.57 million in June, 29.7 percent higher than the 1.21 million recorded in June last year.
But newer technologies are allowing operators to expand connectivity without relying entirely on traditional infrastructure.
Radio technology recorded a 471.1 percent year-on-year growth to 8,606 subscriptions from 1,507 last June.
“Radio technology grew particularly high by 471.1 percent, mainly attributed to the roll-out of radio technology by Airtel, Jamii Telecommunication and Fiberlink Ltd,” the CA said.
Radio frequency internet uses wireless radio signals instead of physical copper or fiber optic cables to deliver high-speed internet to homes and businesses.
Similarly, satellite technology subscriptions increased 54.4 percent year-on-year to 27,695 in June from 17,939, driven by the entry and expansion of LEO satellite services such as Starlink.
These new technologies offer a way of reaching locations where laying fibre or building conventional cellular infrastructure can be difficult or expensive.
CA said satellite bandwidth capacity declined 19.1 percent year-on-year to 0.360 gigabits per second (Gbps) in June from 0.445 Gbps in June 2025, mainly because of the migration from traditional very small aperture terminal (VSAT) technology to LEO technology.
Unlike traditional satellite systems, LEO constellations operate much closer to Earth, allowing them to provide lower-latency connections and higher speeds.
Airtel Africa last year partnered with SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, to introduce direct-to-cell (D2C) technology across its 14 African markets beginning this year.
D2C is designed to address so-called dead zones – areas without reliable internet connectivity because of geographical barriers, infrastructure gaps or the difficulty of deploying conventional networks.
Instead of requiring a satellite dish or other specialised equipment, the technology allows compatible mobile phones to communicate directly with LEO satellites, extending basic connectivity to areas where mobile towers have not reached, including remote locations.
Safaricom’s South African parent company, Vodacom, also signed an Africa-wide deal with SpaceX last November that will see the Kenyan telco integrate Starlink satellite technology for data relay into its mobile network.
In this case, traditional cell towers are equipped with a satellite terminal that transmits data directly to the LEO constellation, which then routes it to the core network.
Mobile data continues to dominate Kenya’s internet market, with subscriptions reaching 64.3 million at the end of June, up 9.7 percent from 58.6 million a year earlier.
The latest CA data shows mobile broadband accounted for 85.5 percent of total subscriptions, with 4G remaining the most adopted broadband technology at 48.3 million users.
The expansion of 4G and 5G networks is also accelerating smartphone adoption as consumers move away from basic handsets and use their phones for increasingly data-heavy activities.
The total number of mobile devices connected to networks stood at 79.7 million by the end of June, equivalent to a penetration rate of 149.4 percent.
Kenya’s largest telco has invested more than Sh500 billion in capital expenditure over the past decade, including Sh55.8 billion last year.
Of this, Sh38.6 billion went into network infrastructure, alongside investments in new data centres, distribution infrastructure and software applications.
Airtel Africa invested $884 million (Sh114.3 billion) in capital expenditure during the year ended March 2026, mainly on network expansion, while adding more than 3,250 infrastructure sites across its 14 African markets.
The company says its 4G network now reaches 75.6 percent of the population across its markets, while 96.7 percent of data traffic comes from customers using 4G and 5G smartphones.
These investments are driven by Kenya’s rising demand for speed. CA data shows that the fixed internet market is expanding as more customers take mid-tier broadband connections and ultra-fast services.
Connections in the 256 kilobits per second (Kbps) to below two megabits per second (Mbps) category rose to 113,438 in June from 49,790 a year earlier.
At the other end, connections offering at least 1 Gbps more than doubled to 1,853 from 701 over the same period.
The increase reflects the growing use of video streaming, online education, remote work, e-commerce, cloud computing and other digital services that require faster and more stable connections.
“Fixed internet services in the country are experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by intense competition, a shifting digital economy, and aggressive infrastructure roll-outs,” the regulator said.
This has created a market for technologies capable of delivering high speeds without the limitations of older infrastructure.
