Microsoft has announced a new collaboration with Starlink as part of its broader strategy to expand global internet access, revealing that it has now extended connectivity coverage to more than 299m people worldwide. The update comes ahead of Mobile World Congress, where the company shared that it had exceeded its initial target of connecting 250m people by the end of 2025.
In a blog post outlining its progress, Microsoft confirmed it is working with Starlink to strengthen connectivity in rural and hard-to-reach regions. The partnership combines low-Earth orbit satellite technology with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships, aimed at addressing connectivity gaps that traditional infrastructure alone cannot bridge.
The initiative is designed to complement Microsoft’s ongoing collaborations with local internet service providers and infrastructure companies across Africa, Latin America and India. The company noted that in many underserved regions, terrestrial networks are insufficient to meet rising demand for reliable internet access, making satellite-based solutions an increasingly important component of digital expansion strategies.
Kenya has emerged as an early example of the partnership in action. Through cooperation with Starlink and local provider Mawingu Networks, Microsoft is supporting connectivity for 450 community hubs in rural and underserved areas. These hubs include farmer cooperatives, agricultural aggregation centres and digital access facilities designed to enhance productivity and enable AI-driven services.
Microsoft highlighted that approximately 2.2bn people worldwide remain offline, warning that the digital divide could widen further as artificial intelligence adoption accelerates globally. Expanding affordable and reliable connectivity, the company said, is essential to ensuring broader participation in the digital economy.
Starlink’s rapidly growing satellite constellation, which now includes more than 9,700 satellites in orbit, offers near-global coverage and the ability to deliver broadband services to remote areas without relying on ground-based infrastructure. The network is expected to expand further as SpaceX transitions launches to its next-generation Starship vehicle, capable of carrying significantly larger payloads than the current Falcon 9 rocket.
The collaboration underscores Microsoft’s push to integrate satellite connectivity into its long-term digital access roadmap, particularly in regions where conventional infrastructure deployment remains challenging.
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