Starlink launches internet service in Senegal, its 26th African market

Elon Musk-owned satellite internet provider Starlink has launched in Senegal. This makes the West African country the 26th African country to welcome Starlink, and the first African country it will launch in 2026. 

According to a disclosure made in the early hours of Wednesday via an X (formerly Twitter) post, the SpaceX-owned company announced its entry into the country.  

“Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet is now available in Senegal!” it said.

With its entry into Senegal, Starlink has now launched in nearly half of Africa’s 54 countries, following its maiden launch in Nigeria in January 2023, after securing regulatory approval in 20223. 

In 2025 alone, the launched in 8 countries, including Chad, Somalia, Lesotho, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo and Niger. With Senegal marking its first African entry in 2025, the company will look to gain entry in countries like Namibia, Cameroon and South Africa.

Starlink in Senegal 

For Senegal, Starlink’s high-speed internet availability signals a significant alternative when faced with internet disruption during outages with local telecom operators. Its entry into the West African country offers high-speed internet through a network of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. 

Starlink is entering a market of over 24 million internet subscriptions as of June 2025, according to official government data. While this suggests a strong penetration rate, the figure includes double-counting from multiple SIM cards and data lines held by the same users.

However, DataReportal estimates that real internet penetration stood at 60.6% at the end of 2025.

Starlink will be facing competition from existing players in the country’s telecoms industry. The Senegalese internet market is currently dominated by mobile operators, led by Orange (Sonatel), which held a 63.42% market share as of June 2025. Free (Yas) ranked second with 22.8%, followed by Expresso at 9.43% and Promobile at 5.07%.

Starlink, through its LEO satellite network, will be aiming to take the edge. Its connectivity has the strength to provide quality internet service to rural and remote areas that are difficult to serve through conventional telecom infrastructure.

The launch comes as gaps in network availability remain significant across the country. A government-backed study presented in September 2025 showed that 24% of Senegalese localities had no network coverage at all, affecting around 18,858 residents. Another 37% experienced frequent signal disruptions. Only 52% of areas were covered by 4G, while some locations remained limited to 2G connectivity.

Aside from mobile network operators (MNOs) in Senegal, Starlink will also face competition in the satellite internet segment itself. 

In December 2024, Orange launched satellite-based internet services in Senegal through a partnership with Eutelsat/Konnect. That offer aims to provide households and businesses with coverage of nearly 99% of the national territory. 

Also Read: Starlink now uses users’ data for AI training; here’s how to opt out.

How much will it cost in Senegal?

Under the new offering, users can subscribe to Starlink for monthly fees of around $40 (CFA22,000) or $54 (CFA30,000), depending on the plan. 

According to a report by Ecofin Agency, subscribers will purchase hardware equipment, sold in two versions priced at $212 (CFA117,000) and $263 (CFA146,000). With the plans,  Senegalese subscribers will enjoy Starlink’s download speeds of up to 305 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 40 Mbps.

As Starlink enters the market, its promise of broad coverage and high performance will face a test of affordability in West Africa country. 

A data by World Bank shows that nominal GDP per Capita in Senegal averages at $1,773.2 in 2024, a $4.85 average income per day. 

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