• Kenya explores cooperation with GSMA to improve spectrum management and rural connectivity.
• Mobile coverage is high, but internet penetration remains uneven, especially in rural areas.
• GSMA says greater access to low-band spectrum could significantly expand rural 4G and 5G coverage.

Kenya is exploring a partnership with the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) to improve the quality and coverage of spectrum used by operators to deploy their mobile networks. The initiative specifically targets underserved and unserved communities and forms part of broader efforts by the authorities to reduce the digital divide and enhance user experience.

The prospect emerged from a meeting held on February 11 between Steve Isaboke, Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications at the Ministry of ICT, and a GSMA delegation that included Luciana Camargos, the organization’s Global Head of Spectrum. Discussions focused on best practices in spectrum management, as well as issues related to affordability and the sustainability of investments.

This renewed engagement comes in a context of relatively advanced network coverage. According to data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 2G and 3G networks covered 98% of Kenya’s population in 2024, while 4G coverage reached 97.3%. Commercial 5G services, launched in October 2022, covered 14% of the population as of the end of December 2024.

However, coverage does not automatically translate into usage. ITU figures show that internet penetration stood at 35% nationwide. The rate dropped to 25% in rural areas, compared with 56.6% in urban zones.

Official data cited by the think tank KICTANet in an article published in January 2025 indicate that Nairobi (64.7%) and Kiambu (54%) recorded the highest internet usage rates. In contrast, West Pokot (9.1%) and Turkana (12.7%) ranked among the least connected counties. GSMA also reported that 35 million Kenyans lacked access to mobile internet in 2023, while the World Bank estimates the country’s population at 55.1 million.

Spectrum at the core of rural connectivity, GSMA says

In its report Spectrum and Rural Connectivity, published in February 2026, GSMA states that rural populations worldwide are 28% less likely to use mobile internet than urban residents. They are also 30% less likely to regularly use online services such as messaging, banking or education. These disparities are attributed in part to spectrum availability.

The report specifies that even when connectivity is technically available, network quality remains a major barrier to wider usage. In rural areas, networks rely primarily on low-band spectrum. The availability of this spectrum directly determines signal reach and service quality.

According to GSMA, increasing the volume of low-band spectrum can have measurable effects. Each additional 50 MHz is associated with a 7 percentage-point increase in rural 4G coverage and an 11 percentage-point increase in rural 5G coverage. The report also notes potential download speed improvements of up to 8%, as well as reduced congestion at cell edges, where rural users most often experience connection difficulties.

In this context, GSMA calls on governments and regulators to take targeted action. It recommends prioritizing the allocation of low-band spectrum to mobile services in order to expand rural coverage and improve speeds. It also advocates aligning spectrum pricing with economic realities, ensuring long-term regulatory visibility and easing infrastructure-sharing rules to strengthen the financial viability of rural deployments.

Isaac K. Kassouwi