On Tuesday, February 25, 2026, Microsoft announced a sweeping new partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, marking a significant stride in the quest to bring digital connectivity to every corner of the globe. The collaboration, revealed ahead of the Mobile World Congress, is more than just a business deal—it’s a testament to the evolving landscape of global internet access, where technology giants and ambitious entrepreneurs are racing to bridge the digital divide.
Microsoft’s chief sustainability officer, Melanie Nakagawa, laid out the vision in a blog post, stating, “Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships.” This approach is designed to tackle one of the world’s most stubborn challenges: getting affordable, reliable internet to rural and hard-to-reach regions where traditional infrastructure simply can’t keep up.
Kenya stands out as an early example of this new model in action. Partnering with Starlink and local provider Mawingu Networks, Microsoft is supporting connectivity for 450 community hubs across rural and underserved areas. These hubs aren’t just internet cafes—they include farmer cooperatives, aggregation centers, and digital access facilities meant to boost agricultural productivity and provide AI-enabled services. It’s a bold move, one that could ripple out to other parts of Africa, Latin America, India, and beyond, as Microsoft scales up its efforts across the developing world.
The numbers tell a compelling story. Microsoft claims to have already extended internet coverage to more than 299 million people globally, smashing its original goal of reaching 250 million by the end of 2025. That’s no small feat, especially considering the company set that target just four years ago. “Traditional infrastructure alone cannot meet demand in some regions,” Microsoft noted, highlighting why satellite connectivity is a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Starlink, for its part, brings serious muscle to the table. With more than 9,700 satellites currently orbiting Earth, SpaceX’s constellation is now the largest satellite broadband network in operation. The company boasts 10 million active customers across more than 150 countries, offering near-global coverage and the promise of high-speed internet even in places where laying fiber-optic cables would be impractical or prohibitively expensive. And the expansion isn’t slowing down—SpaceX is preparing to transition its fleet to Starship rockets, which can carry much larger payloads than the current Falcon 9, potentially accelerating the growth of Starlink’s network even further.
But why is all this necessary? Microsoft points out that 2.2 billion people worldwide still remain offline. As the adoption of artificial intelligence accelerates, those without reliable internet risk falling even further behind. The connectivity gap, if left unaddressed, could exacerbate social and economic inequalities on a global scale.
Interestingly, this partnership comes at a time when relationships among tech titans are anything but simple. Elon Musk, the driving force behind SpaceX and Starlink, is currently embroiled in a legal battle with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, seeking up to $134 billion from the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation. The foundation holds over $100 billion in equity in the for-profit AI lab—a company Musk himself helped cofound back in 2015, alongside Microsoft board member Reid Hoffman. The drama doesn’t end there: Musk has recently criticized Microsoft publicly, even suggesting the company should investigate Hoffman’s past associations. Yet, business is business, and Microsoft’s willingness to work with Musk’s ventures demonstrates a pragmatic approach to achieving its broader mission.
On the ground, the impact of the Microsoft-Starlink partnership is already being felt. In Kenya, the 450 connected community hubs are more than just Wi-Fi hotspots; they’re lifelines for smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs, offering access to digital tools, market information, and even AI-driven services that can help boost productivity. These hubs serve as a model for how satellite technology, when paired with local partnerships, can drive real change in underserved communities.
Starlink’s rapid growth and aggressive expansion have not gone unnoticed by competitors. Amazon’s Kuiper project, which aims to build its own satellite internet network, has launched around 211 satellites so far—a far cry from Starlink’s 9,700-plus. Some industry observers speculated that Starlink’s recent price cuts and offers of free hardware to distribution partners were a direct response to the looming threat from Kuiper, especially with a potential SpaceX IPO on the horizon. But Musk was quick to shut down those rumors. “This has nothing to do with Kuiper, we’re just trying to make Starlink more affordable to a broader audience,” he wrote on X, his social media platform. “The lower the cost, the more Starlink can be used by people who don’t have much money, especially in the developing world.”
Musk’s comments reflect a broader strategy that has defined his companies for years: drive down costs through vertical integration and economies of scale, then pass those savings on to customers to fuel rapid adoption. With Starlink’s constellation growing by the month and launch costs dropping thanks to reusable rockets, the company is well-positioned to keep expanding its reach while keeping prices competitive.
The collaboration between Microsoft and Starlink isn’t happening in a vacuum. It comes amid a flurry of activity around digital infrastructure, AI, and the future of global connectivity. Microsoft’s Foundry cloud software, for example, added support for Grok AI models last year—a nod to the growing importance of advanced AI in everything from agriculture to education. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has approved Elon Musk’s xAI Grok model for use in classified military systems, a move that signals just how intertwined these technologies have become with national security and strategic interests.
Looking ahead, both Microsoft and SpaceX have their eyes on even bigger goals. SpaceX holds contracts with the Department of Defense and NASA and is rumored to be considering a public offering this year. Microsoft, for its part, has made clear that its mission to connect the world is far from over. As Nakagawa wrote, “Connectivity gaps risk widening as AI adoption accelerates.” The company’s ongoing work with Starlink and other partners is meant to ensure that no one is left behind as the digital revolution continues to reshape societies and economies worldwide.
In a world where nearly a third of the population still lacks reliable internet access, the Microsoft-Starlink partnership stands as a bold experiment in bridging that divide. It’s a story of ambition, rivalry, and collaboration—one where the stakes are nothing less than the future of global digital inclusion.