By Adonis Byemelwa
Kigali — The satellite internet boom across Africa has sparked a sovereignty dispute over the future of connectivity. This industrial wave sweeping the entire continent has pushed Africa’s local internet economy into a brand-new development cycle, as three core issues, affordability, digital sovereignty, and control over digital infrastructure, have come to the surface amid the unprecedented expansion of satellite connectivity.
On May 15, 2026, at the Africa CEO Forum held in Kigali, participating telecom executives, regulators, and policymakers jointly issued a serious warning.
A report co-released by Babacar Seck and Abdullahi Tsanni also highlighted core concerns that pinpoint the industry’s pain points.
The global satellite internet market is currently on a high-growth trajectory: it reached $7.3 billion in 2024 and is projected to surge to $54.8 billion by 2035. This wave of growth is primarily driven by low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite operators, such as SpaceX’s Starlink.
Meanwhile, Africa’s past digital policies, which centred on expanding internet coverage, have long failed to keep pace with the industrial shifts brought by the current expansion of satellite internet.
This study identified new characteristics of the digital divide through interviews with more than 30 telecom executives, regulators, and government experts: 87% of Africa’s population is covered by mobile networks, but only 27% to 43% are actually connected to the internet.
“This shows that the region’s main digital divide now lies within the coverage area itself rather than beyond it,” the report notes.
Starlink’s centralised business model hides multiple risks. Africa’s local telecom industry posted an output value of $220 billion in 2024, accounting for 7.7% of the continent’s total GDP.
Some analysts warn that the unregulated expansion of foreign satellite operators will directly impact local industries and that Africa’s digital sovereignty faces a tangible risk of erosion by overseas entities.
This report draws on data from authoritative institutions, including GSMA and the World Bank, to conduct a systematic analysis of the development of Africa’s digital connectivity infrastructure.
Per GSMA’s projections, between 2024 and 2030, global mobile network operators will invest approximately 77 billion US dollars in capital expenditure for network construction across Africa.
Against this backdrop, this report issues a core warning: “losing control over the networks and data flows that underpin Africa’s digital economy is not merely a commercial risk, but a core threat to the region’s sovereignty and right to development.”
Currently, satellite internet service providers are shifting from exclusively serving rural populations to targeting urban consumers and enterprise clients.
SatelliteThis shift has directly intensified their competition with traditional telecom operators, which bear high license fees, infrastructure costs, and regulatory obligations.
This report raises a core strategic question that governments across Africa must urgently address: before the continent loses economic leverage and regulatory control over critical digital systems, what share of its connectivity infrastructure can Africa safely offshore?
“We argue that Africa’s long-term interests lie in building a vibrant local onshore telecom industry,” the report states.
“We oppose treating satellite operators as a replacement for terrestrial networks, and advocate for a hybrid connectivity model that integrates fibre-optic, mobile, and satellite infrastructure to retain local ownership and value creation.”
“We both recognise the role of satellite technology in strengthening network resilience and delivering coverage to remote areas, and warn that unregulated offshore expansion will undermine local digital ecosystems.”
“Regulatory frameworks must extend beyond market structure to cover issues including data governance and national sovereignty.”
Local operators also face practical constraints: the operating costs of rural mobile base stations are 35% to 40% higher than those of urban base stations, and nearly one-third of Africa’s telecom sites are located in off-grid or weak-grid environments, which significantly increase operating costs.
Even so, broadband access has generated measurable economic benefits. Citing World Bank data, after Senegal introduced 3G services, its extreme poverty rate fell by 10%, while Nigeria’s rate dropped by 4.3%.
This report delivers a core message to policymakers gathered in Kigali: Africa’s digital future must not only connect more people to the internet, but also ensure that the continent retains ownership, governance rights, and economic control over the systems that underpin its connectivity.
