Assessing Satellite Internet Potential in Rural Kenya

This working paper explores the intricate factors affecting the adoption and diffusion of satellite internet technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in Kenya. With a digital divide focus, this paper seeks to understand why rural Kenyans, who constitute 75 per cent of the population, prefer older, less cost-effective broadband technologies over newer, more affordable satellite internet options. Impeded by limited information and communication technology infrastructure, nascent policy mechanisms and affordable access to sufficient electricity, the diffusion and adoption of low-cost satellite internet in Kenya remains limited, constraining its population’s access to economical, advanced technological innovation, which is critical to the country’s economic and social development.