Eswatini’s Internet Access in 2025: 5G, Starlink & Surprising Coverage!

Eswatini (pop. ~1.25M in 2025 datareportal.com) has seen rapid growth in connectivity. Mobile subscribers exceed 1.6 million (≈134% of population) datareportal.com, of which ~1.47 million are mobile broadband connections esccom.org.sz. About 720,000 people (57.6% of Eswatini’s residents) use the internet datareportal.com. Smartphone adoption is high (~964,000 devices) esccom.org.sz, but fixed broadband remains small (~38,828 connections) esccom.org.sz. Two mobile operators – MTN Eswatini and Eswatini Mobile – provide 2G/3G/4G services nationwide, while dozens of ISPs (the regulator licensed 21 by 2023 trade.gov) compete in fixed and mobile data. Despite this growth, average download speeds remain modest (~9–10 Mbps pulse.internetsociety.org) and internet costs are relatively high (≈1.38% of GNI for a basic package pulse.internetsociety.org), limiting affordability.

Coverage: Urban vs. Rural

Internet service covers nearly all cities but gaps persist in remote areas. The mobile network has nationwide reach – about 99% of people are within 2G range esccom.org.sz and 95% within 4G range esccom.org.sz. However, 4G’s geographic reach is only ~82% of the country esccom.org.sz, leaving sparsely populated zones on 3G or 2G. Urban centers like Mbabane and Manzini are fully covered, but rural villages often lack high-speed links. Indeed, Eswatini is ~75% rural datareportal.com, and studies note high prices and “limited penetration outside the urban corridor of Mbabane–Manzini” trade.gov undp.org. Many rural communities rely on basic mobile service or satellite links.

Government Policy & Regulation

A strong regulator (the Eswatini Communications Commission, ESCCOM) oversees telecoms under the 2013 Communications Act esccom.org.sz. ESCCOM issues licenses (currently two mobile operators, 21 ISPs) and enforces quality and pricing rules. It operates a Universal Access Fund to subsidize service in poor and remote areas esccom.org.sz. In 2023–24 ESCCOM introduced major reforms: MTN Eswatini was authorized to trial 5G, and SpaceX’s Starlink won a new ISP license trade.gov. In 2024 ESCCOM formally mandated phasing out legacy networks – ordering all operators to retire 2G by end-2026 and 3G by end-2028 esccom.org.sz. These moves aim to free spectrum for LTE/5G and push the market toward faster, more efficient services.

Providers, Speed & Affordability

Major providers: MTN Eswatini (formerly “Swazi MTN”) and Eswatini Mobile (Real Image) dominate mobile. MTN holds ~21% market share and Eswatini Mobile ~64% pulse.internetsociety.org (the rest to fixed-line EPTC/PTC and tiny VSAT/others). Fixed broadband is served by EPTC (Eswatini.net), Jenny Internet, Touch IT, etc. Speeds vary widely: local measurements show MTN’s 4G yielding only ~4.6 Mbps down on average speedgeo.net, whereas fixed fiber (Eswatini.net/“Swazinet”) reaches ~46 Mbps speedgeo.net. The newcomer Starlink averages ~125 Mbps speedgeo.net, far ahead of terrestrial networks. Affordability remains a challenge: basic data bundles cost around E99–E100 (≈$6–7) for about 1–1.5 GB esccom.org.sz. The regulator reports that operators have actually increased data volumes without raising prices esccom.org.sz (e.g. MTN now sells 1.2 GB for E99). Still, internet costs (as % of income) are similar to many African peers.

Internet Penetration and Usage

About 720,000 Eswatinians (≈57.6%) were internet users by Jan 2025 datareportal.com (58% by mid-2024 pulse.internetsociety.org). Mobile connections exceed population (1.67 M, 134% of people) datareportal.com, reflecting many dual-SIM users. Internet use has grown slowly (+1.1% in 2024) datareportal.com. Social media reaches only ~37% of people (464k users) datareportal.com, indicating many users remain casual or limited-web users. Despite heavy mobile adoption, true broadband (data) take-up is 124% of population (counting multi-SIM mobile broadband subscriptions) undp.org, implying multiple subscriptions per person. Still, around 42% of people remain offline or intermittent datareportal.com, largely in rural or low-income groups.

Infrastructure Developments

The backbone of Eswatini’s internet is rapidly improving. The state telecom EPTC has embarked on an ambitious fiber rollout: as of early 2025 it had ~10,000 fiber-to-home passes live and plans to add 20,000 more starting May 2025 insidebiz.co.sz. This fiber expansion (core network overhaul) targets urban first and then rural areas, aiming eventually for nationwide FTTH/FTTB coverage insidebiz.co.sz insidebiz.co.sz. EPTC has also invited international partners to link Eswatini’s fiber to undersea cables, reducing its dependency on neighboring South Africa for Internet connectivity ecofinagency.com ecofinagency.com. On the wireless side, operators have upgraded nearly all towers to 4G (over 724 sites) esccom.org.sz. In March 2024 Eswatini Mobile officially launched 5G in pilot (limited to cities) telecomschamber.org, though national 5G rollout will require more investment. Data center infrastructure remains nascent: the government has set up a national data center (Eswatini High Performance Computer Center) and encourages local cloud services, but local hosting options are still limited.

Satellite Internet

Satellite is playing an increasing role. Starlink officially came online in late 2023, making Eswatini one of the first African countries with SpaceX’s LEO service biznews.com. Coverage is nationwide and does not rely on local towers biznews.com. Pricing in Eswatini is now in rand: ~R950/month (≈$50–60) for unlimited residential service biznews.com. Measured speeds on Starlink are very high (~125 Mbps download speedgeo.net), and uptake is growing (Paratus – the local partner – reports dozens of inquiries daily paratus.africa). Other satellite options include SwaziSat (Maxcom’s GEO-VSAT offering), which delivers up to ~35 Mbps but at premium prices (e.g. E440 for 5 Mbps, up to E2598 for a 35 Mbps plan swazisat.com swazisat.com). The OneWeb LEO service (Eutelsat/OneWeb) is being deployed regionally, offering up to 195 Mbps paratus.africa, but as of 2025 no dedicated Eswatini launch has been announced. Overall, satellite is seen as vital for rural connectivity, and Paratus Eswatini is actively installing Starlink dishes nationwide paratus.africa.

Digital Divide and Challenges

Despite progress, a digital divide persists. Rural and low-income communities face limited access and affordability issues. Although mobile coverage is almost universal, high data prices and lower speeds in rural areas hinder adoption undp.org. Only ~3 in 5 people in remote districts use the internet, versus ~4 in 5 city dwellers. Electricity shortages and low digital literacy also restrict use in some areas. The 2024 UNDP “Digital Rights” report notes that Eswatini’s internet market is “systematic” but hampered by “high prices and limited penetration outside urban areas” undp.org. Government plans (e.g. universal service projects) aim to bridge this gap, but substantial investment is still needed to ensure truly inclusive access.

Recent Developments and Investments

Key recent milestones illustrate the momentum: In 2024–25 Eswatini Mobile rolled out 5G trials telecomschamber.org, and MTN Eswatini (MTN Group) is planning network upgrades under its “Ambition 2025” strategy. In late 2024 Paratus Group launched a joint venture in Eswatini (with ISP Real Image) to aggressively market Starlink and enterprise services paratus.africa. EPTC has publicly courted foreign partners (Nov 2024) to invest in fiber and network expansion ecofinagency.com ecofinagency.com. Locally, operators have improved offerings: the regulator notes that MTN/Eswatini Mobile have boosted data bundles without raising prices esccom.org.sz, and three new ISPs (Chakaza, Glimmertech and Starlink) have entered the market with high-capacity packages esccom.org.sz. These investments – in fiber optics, cell towers, and satellite links – are steadily closing the gaps in Eswatini’s connectivity.

Summary Table: Providers, Speeds, Prices, Coverage

Sources: Official data and industry reports datareportal.com esccom.org.sz esccom.org.sz speedgeo.net esccom.org.sz undp.org, including the Eswatini Communications Commission and international digital surveys.