Microsoft expands digital access with Starlink collaboration after hitting 299 million milestone
Microsoft announced a new collaboration with starlink as it said it has exceeded a 2022 pledge to expand internet access to 250 million people, reaching more than 299 million people worldwide, a step the company says will help prepare communities for participation in the AI economy.
Starlink added to Microsoft’s push for AI-ready communities
the collaboration with Starlink will expand tools for delivering connectivity in rural, agricultural, and hard-to-reach communities, paired with local delivery partners and community institutions. Microsoft framed the move as part of an evolving approach that shifts from pure coverage to adoption, enablement, and long-term participation in the AI economy.
Numbers behind the milestone and persistent gaps
Microsoft noted the milestone, shared on Feb 24, 2026, includes more than 124 million people reached across Africa and follows a 2022 commitment to reach 250 million people by the end of 2025. The company also flagged that 2. 2 billion people remain offline and that barriers such as affordability and reliability continue to limit access.
How Microsoft ties connectivity to AI adoption
Microsoft used data from its 2025 AI Diffusion Report to underline uneven AI adoption: the report shows adoption accelerating faster in higher-income economies than in lower-income ones. The company offered a concrete example in Zambia, where country-wide generative AI adoption is 12 percent but rises to 34 percent among people who have internet access, illustrating the connection between connectivity and AI participation.
Microsoft traced its strategy back to Mobile World Congress 2024, where Vice Chair and President Brad Smith outlined AI Access Principles and emphasized electricity and connectivity as essential foundations for inclusion in the AI economy. The collaboration with starlink was presented as a tool to help deliver connectivity alongside reliable energy, devices, digital skills, and cloud and AI tools that communities need.
Microsoft said the work rests on more than a decade of partnerships with governments, nonprofits, local connectivity providers, and development partners to reach communities where access has historically been limited.
Representatives framed the new collaboration and the milestone as a renewal of focus: moving from coverage alone toward a holistic model that matches connectivity with the services and infrastructure that drive adoption.
Microsoft will highlight this next phase of digital access at Mobile World Congress, where the company will be part of discussions with global leaders and industry about enabling communities to participate in the global AI economy.
