Satellites in your pocket: what direct-to-cell could change in rural Kenya

Imagine a herder in Marsabit, a fisherman on Lake Turkana or a farmer in a valley without a mast, sending a WhatsApp message from an ordinary smartphone, connected not to a tower but to a satellite overhead. That is the promise of "direct-to-cell" satellite service, and it is being tested in Kenya.

What is happening

Under a partnership announced by Airtel Africa and SpaceX in December 2025, Airtel Kenya tested Starlink's direct-to-cell data and messaging services in March 2026 and has applied for a licence to offer them commercially, according to Business Daily. The Communications Authority of Kenya is auditing whether the service could interfere with terrestrial 3G, 4G and 5G networks, since it uses the same spectrum, and aims to set geographic and power limits, MEA Tech Watch reported. A CA spokesperson said Starlink currently has landing rights only, and would need a further licence for direct-to-cell services with operators.

Reports say the service would initially support internet-based messaging and calls, such as WhatsApp, with ordinary calls and SMS planned later. CIO Africa has also examined how SpaceX's newly acquired low-band spectrum in the US, designed to push signals indoors and through obstacles, could eventually shape the service.

What it could change

Large parts of northern and north-eastern Kenya, and remote pockets elsewhere, have weak or no mobile coverage. Building masts there is expensive. Direct-to-cell would not match a tower's speed, but basic messaging in places with nothing would be transformative for:

• Safety: reaching help in an emergency
• Livelihoods: market prices, buyers, weather warnings
• Health: community health workers reporting and receiving guidance
• Money: mobile money services that depend on connectivity

What it will not change quickly

Satellite-to-phone links have limited bandwidth, at least at first. Streaming video in remote areas will remain hard for some time. Costs, licensing and how operators price the service are still unknown, and the regulator's decision is pending.

A note for marketers

As connectivity spreads, more of Kenya becomes reachable. But the newly connected will start with messaging, not video streaming. Businesses that serve rural customers should think in layers:

• WhatsApp text and images for the most remote, lowest-bandwidth customers
• Short, small video files where bandwidth allows
• Rich video in towns and on 4G and 5G

Tari Studio makes images and short videos in several shapes, from a single image ad to a 30-second clip, so the same campaign can be adapted to what each customer's connection can carry. Short clips download faster and cost customers less data. How the Studio works.

Whatever the regulator decides, the direction is clear: the map of who can be reached by a phone in Kenya is getting bigger.