(NAIROBI, KENYA) – The cost of internet enabled phones remains the biggest barrier for Kenyans who know about mobile internet but do not use it, while the price of data limits how much existing users go online.
A study by the mobile industry lobby group GSMA and the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa shows that among Kenya’s adult urban population, 68% use mobile internet, while 27% are aware of it but do not use it and 6% remain unaware.
In rural areas, 49% use mobile internet, 38% know about it but do not use it, and 13% remain unaware.
For people who are aware of mobile internet but remain offline, the cost of an internet enabled handset is the biggest reported barrier in both urban and rural areas.
Among those already using mobile internet, the cost of data is the biggest obstacle to using it more.
The findings point to a growing gap between being connected to a network and being able to take part meaningfully in the digital economy.
The research identifies affordability, digital skills and online safety as the main barriers to mobile internet adoption and use globally.
Global smartphone prices are under pressure from a shortage of memory chips, with manufacturers prioritising supply for high margin artificial intelligence data centres.
Global smartphone shipments fell 11% year on year in the second quarter of 2026 to their lowest second quarter level since 2013, according to the global market intelligence firm Counterpoint Research.
Rising memory costs have particularly affected entry level and mid range devices, which account for much of the market.
For a Kenyan looking for a basic smartphone, this puts pressure on the very part of the market that needs to remain affordable to bring more people online.
The cost of mobile data presents another problem.
The World Bank has previously linked Kenya’s relatively high mobile data prices to the country’s concentrated telecom market, arguing that greater competition could help lower costs and increase usage.
Its 2025 analysis found that Kenya’s mobile market is highly concentrated and linked this structure to higher data prices and lower usage than some regional peers such as Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zambia.
This puts pressure on traders seeking data to communicate with customers and suppliers, advertise on social media and receive digital payments.
For larger businesses, the growing use of cloud software, online marketplaces, digital advertising and mobile financial services makes connectivity increasingly important.
Students need good connectivity for research, online learning and applications.
Communications Authority of Kenya data shows demand for mobile internet continues to rise.
By June 2026, mobile data subscriptions had reached 64.3 million, up 9.7% from 58.6 million a year earlier.
Mobile broadband accounted for 85.5% of total subscriptions, with 4G accounting for 48.3 million.
5G subscriptions more than doubled over the year to 2.1 million, while the number of feature phones connected to mobile networks continued to fall.
“The continued shift towards internet based communication and digital content, including over the top and video on demand services, is expected to drive demand for broadband connectivity and active bandwidth capacity,” the Communications Authority of Kenya said.
But as networks become faster and more capable, customers need increasingly capable devices and larger data bundles to take advantage of them.
The GSMA research shows that while 68% of Kenya’s urban adults use mobile internet, the share falls to 49% in rural areas.
Rural Kenyans are also more likely to be aware of mobile internet without using it, with 38% in that category compared with 27% in urban areas.
The GSMA argues that countries need to look beyond the number of towers or the percentage of the population covered by a network when measuring digital inclusion.
Its priorities include speeding up the move from 2G and 3G to smartphone based 4G and 5G use and integrating energy and connectivity investment.
Mobile operators rely on diesel to power some network sites in areas without reliable grid electricity.
The GSMA has previously warned that rising fuel costs due to the Middle East conflict can increase network operating expenses and put pressure on the affordability and reliability of mobile services.
“Reducing the cost of reaching rural and underserved communities through shared infrastructure, innovative technologies, outcome based public funding and anchor demand from schools, healthcare facilities and other public institutions,” the association adds.
This means Kenya can continue expanding 4G and 5G coverage and rolling out faster networks.
But if smartphones remain too expensive for those still offline and data remains too costly for those already connected to use it more, a significant part of the population will continue to sit on the edge of the digital economy.
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