Satellite Internet and the Disruption of Telecommunications Infrastructures in Cameroon

This article examines how Starlink, developed by SpaceX, constitutes a disruptive innovation in the telecommunications sector in Cameroon, where it offers connectivity in areas poorly served by traditional networks. However, there is a tension between the ideal and the market realities of democratizing internet access. On one hand, like philanthrocapitalist initiatives, Starlink promotes itself through humanitarian efforts that promise global internet access, presented as a public good. On the other hand, its business strategies privatize access and make it unaffordable for a large portion of the global population. Starlink is reshaping geopolitical and economic relations not only by competing with national operators and challenging regulatory agencies, but also by cooperating with local telecom actors and, in some cases, relying on their infrastructure to ensure the continuity of its services. Its success is further supported by a widespread crisis of user mistrust in traditional telecommunications infrastructures, fueled by frequent outages and high costs, positioning Starlink as a trust infrastructure. Our analysis shows that, while Starlink claims to promote digital inclusion, its market-driven logic deepens existing inequalities-amplifying what has long been a major challenge of internet access and rendering it even more visible and politically salient in the 21st century.