Internet service provider Mawingu Networks’ long standing partnership with Microsoft has received new tools to improve internet connectivity in rural and remote areas. This comes after Microsoft’s collaboration with satellite internet provider Starlink.
For the Kenyan market, this collaboration means Mawingu will lead the deployment of low-earth orbit satellite internet using its established rural broadband infrastructure and community-first deployment model.
“Mawingu will deploy, integrate, and operationalise connectivity across 450 community hubs in rural and peri-urban regions nationwide. These hubs,
including schools, farmer cooperatives, aggregation centres, and digital resource facilities, will function as digitally enabled access point,” said the ISP.
Farouk Ramji, Chief Executive Officer of Mawingu Networks, added, “With that foundation in place, communities can fully participate in education, enterprise, and the digital economy.”
The community-based access model is deemed financially sustainable, scalable, and aligned with national development priorities.
Read: Starlink Orders Kenyan Users to Verify ID by April 30
Bringing onboard Starlink to enhance access in hard-to-reach areas is another step in Microsoft’s journey that started in 2022. The company has been working globally to make the internet more accessible and to bring more people into the digital economy.
Originally, the tech giant planned to expand internet access to 250 million people by the end of 2025. Through partnerships like the Kenyan one with Mawingu, this goal was surpassed.
In a blog post, Microsoft wrote, “We are proud to share that we have met and exceeded that goal, extending connectivity coverage to over 299 million people worldwide, including more than 124 million across Africa.”
Across Africa, Microsoft is running similar programs with local partners in South Africa, Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zambia.
For Starlink, which recorded 19,470 subscribers in Kenya as of September 2025, this is yet another partnership that brings its services to the African market. It comes after partnerships with Airtel Africa and Vodacom.