Since February 4, 2026, Starlink is officially available in Senegal. SpaceX's satellite Internet service, the company of billionaire Elon Musk, marks its entry into the Senegalese market with an ambitious promise: to connect rural and underserved areas of the country. Between hopes of digital inclusion and concerns about unfair competition, this arrival raises as many questions as it provides solutions.
Starlink's arrival in Senegal comes as no surprise. As early as December 2025, during the presentation of the 2026 budget to deputies, the Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy announced the imminent deployment of the network throughout the territory.
The Senegalese government has even integrated Starlink into its national digital transformation strategy, with the ambition to connect one million pupils and students for free by June 2026. This initiative is part of a broader objective: aiming for high and very high-speed broadband coverage throughout the territory by 2047.
To access the service, Senegalese will have to pay between 22,000 FCFA (about 40 dollars) and 30,000 FCFA per month depending on the chosen offer. Added to this subscription cost is the mandatory purchase of hardware (satellite dish and router), available in two models:
In return, Starlink promises impressive speeds: to up to 305 Mbps in download and 40 Mbps in upload. Performances that largely exceed what traditional operators currently offer in many areas of the country.
Senegal faces a persistent digital divide. According to a study conducted by the authorities and presented in September 2025:
With its constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, Starlink can claim generalized coverage of the Senegalese territory, reaching even rural or remote areas difficult to access for traditional terrestrial networks.
The Senegalese market had 24.14 million Internet subscriptions at the end of June 2025, but the real Internet penetration rate remains estimated at only 60.6% of the population. There is therefore real growth potential.
Starlink's arrival does not only make people happy. During a press conference, questions were raised about the conditions of entry of the American giant into the Senegalese market:
These questions are legitimate when we know that Starlink is entering a market where players like Orange (Sonatel), Free, Expresso and other Internet service providers operate, having invested massively in local infrastructures.
This is not the first time Starlink has tried to set up in Senegal. In August 2023, the Telecommunications and Posts Regulation Authority (ARTP) conducted a control operation which established the irregular marketing of Starlink terminals allowing connection to the Internet network via satellite.
Five individuals linked to Starlink were caught in the act and apprehended by the Urban Security Directorate of the National Police. The ARTP had then recalled that the provision of Internet access services is subject to prior authorization according to law n°2018-28 relating to the electronic communications code.
This time, it seems that Starlink has obtained the necessary authorizations, even if the details of this agreement remain unclear.
Senegal is not an exception. Starlink is pursuing an aggressive expansion on the African continent and is now present in about 25 African countries. Elon Musk's company has understood that Africa represents a huge market for satellite Internet, particularly in areas where terrestrial infrastructures are deficient or non-existent.
This strategy is part of a context of strong momentum for satellite Internet globally, where LEO (Low Earth Orbit) technology is revolutionizing Internet access in under-connected areas.
Despite technological promises, several challenges arise:
1. Financial accessibility With an equipment cost of 117,000 to 146,000 FCFA and a monthly subscription of 22,000 to 30,000 FCFA, Starlink remains out of reach for a large part of the Senegalese population. The minimum wage in Senegal being around 60,000 FCFA, these rates risk limiting access to an urban elite.
2. The question of digital sovereignty Entrusting a significant part of national connectivity to a private American company raises questions of data sovereignty and control of critical infrastructures.
3. Competition for local operators Traditional operators who have invested billions in terrestrial infrastructures risk seeing their market shares eroded, particularly in the premium and professional segments.
4. Market regulation The ARTP will have to find a balance between encouraging innovation and protecting local investments, while guaranteeing fair competition.
5. Energy consumption Starlink terminals consume electricity continuously. In a country where access to electricity remains problematic in some rural areas, this can constitute a brake on adoption.
The arrival of Starlink in Senegal can be a real opportunity to accelerate digital inclusion, provided it is well supervised. Several avenues deserve to be explored:
For the government:
For local operators:
For companies and institutions:
For developers and tech entrepreneurs:
As a digital professional, I see the arrival of Starlink as an opportunity to push the boundaries of what is possible in Senegal. Connecting rural areas opens up immense possibilities: telemedicine, distance education, connected agriculture, rural e-commerce, dematerialized administrative services.
However, technology alone is not enough. A complete ecosystem is needed: training, adapted content, support, viable economic models. At Kamit Digital Solutions, we are convinced that this new connectivity must be accompanied by software solutions adapted to the local context.
The challenge is not only to connect people to the Internet, but to give them the means to create value thanks to this connection. This is where Senegalese developers, designers and entrepreneurs have a crucial role to play.