Inside Madagascar’s Internet Revolution: From Mobile Networks to Starlink Skies

Madagascar’s internet landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Once characterized by low connectivity and patchy infrastructure, the island nation is now embracing new technologies and investments to bridge its digital divide. From the expansion of mobile networks across its vast rural countryside to the arrival of cutting-edge satellite services like Starlink, Madagascar is poised for an “internet revolution.” This report provides a comprehensive look at the state of internet access in Madagascar, including infrastructure developments, user demographics, key service providers, government initiatives, satellite internet’s growing role, costs and challenges, comparisons with other African nations, and future outlook. The goal is to paint a clear and engaging picture of how Madagascar is connecting its people – and how far it still has to go.

Infrastructure Overview: Broadband, Mobile, and Fiber Optics

Madagascar’s internet infrastructure rests on a mix of undersea fiber cables, a national fiber backbone, and mobile wireless networks. In recent years, international connectivity has improved significantly. The country is now connected to four major submarine fiber-optic cables: EASSy, LION/LION2, METISS, and the newly landed 2Africa system dig.watch dig.watch. These cables link Madagascar to the global internet, landing at coastal cities like Toamasina, Toliara, and Mahajanga. For example, the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) runs along Africa’s east coast with a branch to Madagascar’s southwest consultingjulian.com consultingjulian.com. The LION cables (Lower Indian Ocean Network) connect Madagascar with the neighboring islands of Réunion and Mauritius, providing an additional route to the African mainland via those islands. In February 2023, the massive 2Africa cable (the world’s largest subsea cable project) landed at Mahajanga, promising a big boost in bandwidth once it became operational in late 2023 axian-telecom.com axian-telecom.com. Telma, the country’s leading telecom operator, partnered with Vodafone to bring 2Africa’s capacity to Madagascar, which is expected to greatly improve speed and resilience while lowering latency for internet services connectingafrica.com connectingafrica.com. With the 2Africa landing, Madagascar’s international bandwidth and redundancy have increased, addressing past vulnerabilities when a single cable cut could disrupt connectivity for days (as happened in a 2017 EASSy cable break) consultingjulian.com consultingjulian.com.

On the domestic front, Madagascar has built an extensive fiber-optic backbone on land, though coverage is still largely concentrated in urban and central regions. Telma (Telecom Malagasy) maintains roughly 10,000 km of fiber-optic backbone crisscrossing the country dig.watch axian-telecom.com, connecting major cities and towns. This backbone links the submarine cable landing stations to the capital Antananarivo and other population centers. In practice, however, the reach of fixed broadband to homes remains extremely limited – fixed broadband subscriptions are only ~0.11 per 100 people as of 2023, essentially one of the lowest rates in the world theglobaleconomy.com theglobaleconomy.com. In fact, only a few tens of thousands of fixed connections exist (mostly in offices, urban households, and institutions), meaning that the vast majority of Malagasy citizens rely on wireless mobile networks for internet access.

Mobile networks are thus the backbone of internet access for Madagascar’s population. The country has three major mobile operators (Telma, Orange, and Airtel) and one smaller operator (Blueline’s bip network) covering its territory. These operators have rolled out 2G and 3G networks extensively over the past two decades, and in the last several years have been expanding 4G LTE coverage. As of 2023, about 71% of the population lives within coverage of at least one 4G network pulse.internetsociety.org, indicating that most cities and many towns are served by mobile broadband. Even many rural communities now have at least a 3G signal if not 4G, thanks to operator efforts to extend coverage and share towers. For instance, Orange Madagascar signed an agreement with a Canadian firm in 2023 to deploy 500 new rural mobile towers, part of a plan to raise its population coverage from ~56% to 90% by end of 2024 connectingafrica.com connectingafrica.com. Similarly, Telma and Airtel have been adding base stations to reach remote areas – often using solar-powered towers or microwave backhaul to overcome the country’s challenging geography.

Madagascar was even an early experimenter with 5G technology in Africa. In June 2020, Telma (in partnership with Ericsson) announced the launch of one of Africa’s first commercial 5G networks connectingafrica.com ericsson.com. Initial 5G sites went live in Antananarivo and a few other locales, using mid-band spectrum. However, regulatory hurdles delayed a wider 5G rollout – the telecom regulator (ARTEC) briefly ordered Telma to put 5G on hold in 2020 due to licensing concerns datacenterdynamics.com developingtelecoms.com. As of 2025, 5G is still in very limited deployment: an estimated 7% of the population has access to a 5G signal pulse.internetsociety.org (essentially those in select neighborhoods of the capital and perhaps one or two other cities). Both Telma and Orange have plans for broader 5G expansion once spectrum and regulations allow – Orange has stated it aims to introduce 5G by the end of 2024 in line with its pan-African strategy connectingafrica.com connectingafrica.com. For now, 4G LTE remains the fastest widely-available mobile service, with 3G still serving many rural users.

Madagascar’s internet speeds have historically been constrained by limited infrastructure, but they are improving. Average download speeds on both mobile and fixed connections hover in the range of 20–25 Mbps in practice pulse.internetsociety.org pulse.internetsociety.org, which, while not high by global standards, are in line with many African countries’ averages. The small pool of fixed broadband users actually enjoys decent performance – median fixed download speed was about 28–30 Mbps in early 2023 datareportal.com datareportal.com, likely because many of those connections are via fiber in the capital. Mobile speeds vary with coverage quality, but 4G in urban areas can deliver tens of Mbps. With the new international cables (like 2Africa) coming online, backhaul capacity is less of a bottleneck than before; the limiting factors now are last-mile reach and the number of users sharing the network. Overall, Madagascar’s core infrastructure has seen significant upgrades in recent years: multiple subsea cables (providing redundancy and high capacity) and a growing fiber and wireless network on land. The stage is set for improved connectivity – if these resources can be extended affordably to the population.

Internet Penetration Rates and User Demographics

Despite the improvements in infrastructure, internet penetration in Madagascar remains relatively low. As of early 2025, approximately 6.6 million individuals in Madagascar were using the internet – roughly 20.4% of the population datareportal.com datareportal.com. In other words, four out of five Malagasy people are still offline. This penetration rate (around 20%) is only about half of Africa’s average internet usage rate. For context, the Internet Society’s data shows about 21% of Madagascar’s population used the internet (at least once in a 3-month period), versus an African average of ~39% usage pulse.internetsociety.org. The table below compares Madagascar’s internet penetration with a few other African nations:

Table: Internet user penetration in Madagascar vs. selected African countries. Madagascar lags well behind the continent’s more connected nations and the African average.

As shown above, Madagascar’s internet use is low even compared to many Sub-Saharan African countries. It ranks among the lowest in the region for internet penetration, alongside some of the least connected countries. (For instance, Madagascar’s rate is slightly above Malawi’s ~18% and in the same range as a country like Mali ~35% datahub.itu.int, but far below regional leaders or even its small island neighbor Mauritius at ~80% online). This underscores the significant digital divide Madagascar faces.

In absolute numbers, Madagascar’s internet users have been growing slowly but steadily. The country added only around 140–160 thousand new internet users between 2022 and 2024, a growth of ~2.4% per year datareportal.com datareportal.com. This growth barely kept pace with population increases, so the percentage penetration has stayed roughly flat around 20%. By early 2025, an estimated 25.8 million Malagasy (79.6% of the population) were still offline datareportal.com – a huge majority mostly consisting of rural residents, the poor, and other marginalized groups. The slow growth is attributable to challenges like poverty, cost of service, and limited rural coverage which we will explore later.

Demographically, internet use in Madagascar is highly skewed by location, age, and gender. Urban vs. rural disparities are especially pronounced. About 58% of Malagasy people live in rural areas (as of 2025) datareportal.com, and in those areas internet access is scarce. In many remote villages, even a basic mobile data signal can be absent or unreliable. According to one development project report, most people in targeted rural districts did have some 3G/4G coverage available documents1.worldbank.org, but usage remained very low – rural communities often lack the electricity, devices, and income to get online regularly. A poignant illustration of this divide: in one rural region (Itasy) where a digital inclusion project is active, only 2.6% of women in rural areas had any access to the Internet, and merely 29% even had access to a mobile phone blog.tsfi.org. This highlights a compounded divide: rural populations are left behind, and rural women are especially disconnected. By contrast, in cities like Antananarivo or Mahajanga, internet access is far more common – urban dwellers benefit from Wi-Fi hotspots, home broadband in some cases, and a choice of mobile networks. Still, even in urban Madagascar, connectivity is not universal; many low-income urban residents only use the internet sparingly (e.g. buying a small data bundle on their phone when they can afford it).

The gender gap in internet usage is another notable demographic factor. Across Africa, about 31% of women use the internet compared to 43% of men blog.tsfi.org, and Madagascar reflects this imbalance. Women, especially in rural and conservative areas, face barriers including lower mobile phone ownership, digital literacy gaps, and social constraints. The example above shows rural women have minuscule internet access, often due to lack of devices or even restrictions by family (some women reported they were “not allowed to use the phone at home” by their husbands) blog.tsfi.org. Nationwide statistics on Madagascar’s gender gap in internet use are not readily available, but it is clear that men are more likely to be online than women, and empowering women with digital access is a key challenge.

In terms of age, Madagascar’s population is very young (median age ~19) datareportal.com, yet many youth still cannot get online. Those who do use the internet tend to be adolescents and young adults in urban areas who access social media and messaging apps. For example, there were about 3.9 million social media users in 2025 (roughly 12% of the population) datareportal.com datareportal.com, indicating that a large fraction of internet users are engaged on platforms like Facebook – which suggests a younger, mobile-savvy demographic. (Indeed, Facebook had about 3.9 million users in Madagascar by 2025, almost the same as the total social media user count, implying it’s the dominant platform datareportal.com datareportal.com.) Meanwhile, children and the elderly are largely offline due to either age restrictions or lack of digital skills.

One positive development is that mobile phone ownership is growing, which lays the groundwork for future internet uptake. There were over 18 million cellular mobile connections active in early 2025, equivalent to 56% of the population (some people have multiple SIMs) datareportal.com datareportal.com. Importantly, more than 84% of these mobile connections are now on 3G/4G networks (capable of internet) datareportal.com datareportal.com. This means that even though only ~20% use the internet currently, the potential reach (in terms of network availability and SIM subscriptions) is much higher. As smartphones become cheaper and digital literacy improves, Madagascar has a latent user base that could come online. However, turning that potential into actual internet usage will require tackling the affordability and awareness issues that currently keep millions offline.

In summary, Madagascar’s internet penetration remains low, skewed heavily toward urban, male, and younger segments of the population. The vast majority of rural residents, women, and the poor are not yet benefitting from the digital revolution. The following sections will examine why – looking at service providers, costs, and challenges – as well as what’s being done to close these gaps.

Key Internet Service Providers and Technologies in Use

Madagascar’s internet access is delivered primarily by a handful of telecommunications operators, each using a mix of technologies (mobile, fixed, and satellite). The table below summarizes the major players in the Malagasy internet market and the technologies they offer:

Table: Major Internet Service Providers in Madagascar, with market share (by internet subscribers) and technologies.

Telecom Malagasy (Telma) is the historic incumbent operator and currently the most dominant player. Telma controls about half the internet market by usage share pulse.internetsociety.org and has the highest number of mobile subscribers (~5 million) connectingafrica.com. It operates a nationwide GSM/3G/4G mobile network and was the first to launch 5G (albeit in a limited capacity) connectingafrica.com ericsson.com. Telma is also the backbone of Madagascar’s fixed infrastructure: it owns the extensive fiber-optic backbone and has stakes in the international cables (Telma was directly involved in EASSy, METISS and is the landing partner for 2Africa) axian-telecom.com. In urban areas, Telma offers fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband in certain neighborhoods and businesses, and previously ADSL over copper lines (though the old fixed telephone network is limited). Telma’s investments through its parent company (the Axian Group) have been pivotal – Telma built the lion’s share of telecom towers (1,600+ towers) and fiber routes across Madagascar axian-telecom.com. Because of this, competitors often rely on Telma’s infrastructure for backhaul. Telma also offers popular services like mobile money (MVola), and it markets combined packages of mobile data, voice, and fixed internet to consumers. With its aggressive rollouts, Telma has positioned itself as the leading integrated service provider. However, its dominance has also raised concerns about competition (the Internet Society Pulse rates Madagascar’s market competitiveness for internet as “Very Poor” pulse.internetsociety.org, partly due to Telma’s outsized influence).

Orange Madagascar is the second-largest operator by internet usage (around 30% share) pulse.internetsociety.org and third by mobile subscribers (~3.3 million) connectingafrica.com. Orange, a subsidiary of France’s Orange S.A., has been in Madagascar for about two decades and is a strong competitor in the mobile arena. It provides 2G/3G/4G coverage in most populated areas and has been expanding rapidly – Orange renewed its license in 2024 and committed to invest heavily in rural coverage, aiming to cover 90% of the population by end of 2024 connectingafrica.com connectingafrica.com. Orange is also notable for obtaining a “global license” in late 2023, allowing it to offer all forms of telecom services (mobile, fixed, satellite etc.) connectingafrica.com. This means Orange could potentially introduce fixed broadband or other services; indeed, the company mentioned it can now deploy infrastructure like fiber or even satellite connectivity under this license connectingafrica.com. In practice, Orange’s current focus is on mobile data and mobile financial services (Orange Money). Orange has plans for 5G as well, synchronized with Orange Group’s goal to launch 5G in most African markets by 2024 connectingafrica.com connectingafrica.com. With strong backing and a customer-centric approach, Orange is a key player driving competition – for example, Orange often tops consumer choice for SIM cards due to coverage and reliability (as noted by travelers and locals alike) mindofahitchhiker.com mindofahitchhiker.com. Its ongoing rural tower deployment (with partners like NuRAN Wireless) is bringing coverage to many previously unserved villages connectingafrica.com.

Airtel Madagascar (a subsidiary of India’s Bharti Airtel) is another major mobile operator, historically neck-and-neck with Telma in subscriber count. Airtel had about 4.9 million mobile subscribers in late 2023 connectingafrica.com, making it the second-largest by users (though many of those may be voice-only subscribers). However, Airtel accounts for only ~7% of the internet user market pulse.internetsociety.org, suggesting that Airtel’s customers use less data on average or that Airtel has been less successful in capturing data-heavy customers. Airtel offers 2G/3G/4G services and has wide coverage, but it has been perceived as lagging in network quality in some areas. Users often cite Telma or Orange as having better data speeds or coverage, whereas Airtel is sometimes chosen for slightly cheaper data bundles mindofahitchhiker.com mindofahitchhiker.com. Airtel’s challenge has been the heavy investments by Telma and Orange – Airtel has had to play catch-up in upgrading sites to 4G and expanding to rural zones. There were no public indications of Airtel launching 5G in Madagascar as of 2025; the focus remains on strengthening 4G. It’s worth noting that Airtel globally has been investing in network improvements in Africa, so it may increase its presence. In Madagascar’s context, Airtel’s ~7% internet market share implies it is a smaller player in mobile data, used perhaps as a secondary SIM by some. Indeed, many Malagasy users carry multiple SIM cards (Telma + Orange, or Orange + Airtel) to hedge coverage gaps mindofahitchhiker.com mindofahitchhiker.com.

Blueline (brand name “bip”) is the fourth operator, a much smaller company that launched in 2016. It is operated by Gulfsat Madagascar/Blueline, which was originally a fixed wireless and satellite service provider. BIP initially focused on providing affordable 3G/4G in urban centers and claims coverage in all 22 regions prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com, but its user base is tiny – only about 71,000 subscribers in late 2023 connectingafrica.com. BIP’s strategy has been to target niche customers and provide data-centric plans, but it has nowhere near the network scale of the big three. The company does contribute to competition in a small way (for example, offering some home wireless broadband packages in Antananarivo). Blueline/Gulfsat also continues to offer VSAT (satellite internet) and wireless local loop connections for enterprise and remote clients africa2trust.com mayafiles.tase.co.il. In fact, Gulfsat was a pioneer in Madagascar’s internet scene: by 2006 it had installed over 1,000 VSAT and wireless stations across the country africa2trust.com wisigroup.com. These were often used to connect businesses, government offices, or rural telecenters where no fiber or mobile network existed. Today, Blueline’s BIP network is essentially leveraging that legacy – providing an alternative in areas where it has signal, and offering satellite-based connectivity for specialized needs. With only ~2% market share in internet, Blueline is a minor player but its presence ensures there is at least a fourth competitor in the market.

Finally, we must mention the newcomer that doesn’t fit the traditional mold: SpaceX’s Starlink. In mid-2024, Starlink officially launched its satellite internet service in Madagascar, marking the country’s first commercial foray into low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband ecofinagency.com ecofinagency.com. Starlink’s arrival was facilitated by the government’s liberalization policies in 2023, which aimed to open the telecom sector to new entrants ecofinagency.com. The service provides high-speed, low-latency internet via a satellite dish (“user terminal”) that communicates with SpaceX’s orbiting satellite constellation. Starlink is a game-changer particularly for remote and underserved areas – anywhere one can see the sky, one can get a broadband connection, without relying on local tower infrastructure. By late 2024, Starlink rapidly gained popularity among certain customer segments in Madagascar, to the point that it was estimated to account for around 10% of the country’s internet market share (by bandwidth or user share) pulse.internetsociety.org. This is remarkable considering it was brand new – it indicates strong demand from those who could afford it. Starlink’s pricing in Madagascar is about 226,000 Ariary per month (≈ US$50), plus a one-time equipment fee of ~1.12 million Ariary (~US$250) for the dish kit ecofinagency.com ecofinagency.com. The company offered promotional discounts on the hardware during launch. While $50/month is expensive relative to average incomes (more on pricing in the next section), Starlink delivers speeds in the tens to hundreds of Mbps, far exceeding typical mobile internet speeds available in rural Madagascar. Early adopters include businesses, NGOs, and some affluent individuals or communities pooling resources – for example, lodges in remote areas, or educational projects in villages that previously had no internet, can install Starlink and instantly leap to broadband connectivity.

Beyond Starlink, other satellite technologies in use include traditional VSAT services (offered by providers like Gulfsat, and international operators such as Hughes, Viasat, etc.). VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) satellite connections have long been used in Madagascar to connect rural telecom towers and enterprise networks. For instance, one of the large mobile carriers has for years used Hughes satellite equipment to backhaul traffic from remote cell sites where extending fiber or microwave links was impractical hughes.com hughes.com. This allowed GSM signals to reach villages deep in the countryside by sending data over satellite from the tower back to the core network. Satellite backhaul remains a vital part of reaching Madagascar’s most isolated spots – a combined terrestrial and satellite approach yields higher network availability and coverage hughes.com hughes.com. Now, with LEO satellites like Starlink (and potentially others in the future, e.g. OneWeb or Amazon’s Project Kuiper), satellite internet is more accessible directly to consumers as well.

In summary, Madagascar’s internet is delivered by a mix of technologies: predominantly mobile broadband (3G/4G) from Telma, Orange, and Airtel; a tiny amount of fixed-line broadband (mostly Telma fiber in cities); and increasingly, satellite broadband for niche and remote users. Competition has historically been limited to the three mobile operators (often resulting in high prices and regional monopolies), but new developments – like the entry of Starlink and the expansion of Orange and Blueline’s offerings – are shaking up the market. The government and regulator are encouraging this diversification to improve services and lower costs. The next section will delve into the government’s role in expanding internet access.

Government Initiatives and Policies for Internet Expansion

The Malagasy government recognizes that improved internet connectivity is key to the country’s economic and social development. Over the past several years, authorities have launched various initiatives, policies, and partnerships to expand internet access and modernize the digital sector.

One major step was the liberalization of the telecom sector in 2023. In April 2023, the government enacted policies to open up the market to greater competition and investment ecofinagency.com. This included streamlining licensing for new services (which paved the way for Starlink’s authorization), and encouraging existing operators to invest in underserved areas. The regulator ARTEC (Autorité de Régulation des Technologies de Communication) has also pushed for improved quality of service and infrastructure sharing among operators, though challenges remain. The liberalization is part of a broader government strategy to “boost investment across all segments of the ICT market, enhance competition, and lower consumer prices.” ecofinagency.com Early outcomes of this strategy include Orange’s renewal of its license with conditions to extend coverage connectingafrica.com connectingafrica.com, and the introduction of Starlink as a completely new competitor.

The government has also been partnering with international organizations and companies to connect rural communities. A headline initiative unveiled in 2025 is a plan to connect 1,600 villages to telecommunications services in partnership with Huawei linkedin.com. This project, announced by the Minister of Digital Development, aims to accelerate digital transformation by bringing mobile or internet service to villages that currently have none. Huawei, a Chinese technology company, will likely provide network equipment (such as solar-powered cellular base stations or satellite connectivity gear) to make this possible. The focus on 1,600 villages suggests a substantial portion of rural Madagascar could see connectivity for the first time through this program. Such efforts align with the country’s aim to bridge the urban-rural digital divide; by lifting the “last-mile” barrier, villagers could gain access to telephony, mobile internet, and digital services like e-government and telehealth.

Another significant government effort is the integration of digital infrastructure with broader development projects. For example, the World Bank-supported “Connectivity for Rural Livelihood Improvement Project” (launched in 2019) included a component for “Promotion of Digital Solutions in Targeted Rural Communities.” documents1.worldbank.org documents1.worldbank.org In pilot regions, the project leveraged existing fiber and 3G/4G coverage (notably, Telma had already laid fiber along certain roads in those regions documents1.worldbank.org) to introduce community ICT centers, digital agricultural services, and smartphone applications for farmers. It even planned to build Community Information Kiosks in villages – solar-powered hubs with internet access where locals can use computers or get online information documents1.worldbank.org documents1.worldbank.org. By bundling connectivity with useful content (market prices, transport scheduling, weather forecasts, etc.), the government and donors aim to create demand for internet in rural life, not just supply. These kiosks and digital literacy training (often run with NGO support) help familiarize rural populations with technology and demonstrate how connectivity can improve livelihoods. There is also an emphasis on gender inclusion – projects include analysis of gender gaps in ICT access and measures to ensure women participate and benefit equally documents1.worldbank.org.

On the policy and governance side, Madagascar established a Digital Governance Unit (DGU) in 2019 and appointed a Chief Digital Officer in the government dig.watch dig.watch. This institutional reform was aimed at modernizing public services and guiding digital policy from the highest levels. With support from the World Bank and other partners, the government adopted more agile, user-centric approaches for digital service delivery – examples include an online business registration platform (Orinasa) that significantly cut down processing times dig.watch, and digital vaccination certificate systems. A flagship program called PRODIGY is rolling out a nationwide biometric digital identity system, to eventually provide every citizen with a digital ID dig.watch. While these e-government initiatives are not directly about internet infrastructure, they create demand for connectivity and underscore the government’s commitment to a digital future. If citizens can register businesses, obtain documents, or access government info online, that becomes another incentive to get connected.

The national broadband plan of Madagascar, while not highly publicized, does exist in some form. According to the ITU, Madagascar had a National Broadband Plan or ICT Strategy around 2020 datahub.itu.int. This likely ties into the “Plan Emergence Madagascar” (PEM) which is the country’s development vision. Indeed, Telma’s CEO referenced “the Malagasy state vision ‘Initiative for the Emergence of Madagascar’” when discussing 2Africa cable benefits connectingafrica.com connectingafrica.com – implying the government sees digital infrastructure as part of its emergence strategy. The specifics include promoting competition in broadband infrastructure, expanding fiber backbone, and facilitating universal access in rural areas. The Ministry of Digital Development, Posts and Telecommunications (created as a standalone ministry) is at the forefront of these policies. The current minister has been actively engaging with private sector (e.g., Huawei, SpaceX) to bring solutions to Madagascar’s connectivity challenges linkedin.com.

Some regulatory actions have also impacted the sector’s development. For example, when Telma launched 5G without explicit permission, ARTEC intervened, citing technical and regulatory compliance issues datacenterdynamics.com. This indicates the regulator is asserting oversight to ensure fair play and that new technologies are rolled out in an orderly manner. ARTEC has also been working on spectrum management and issuing licenses for things like universal service obligations. Madagascar has a Universal Service Fund (supported by a small levy on telecom revenues) which can be used to fund rural connectivity projects – such as subsidizing towers in unprofitable areas or setting up community telecenters. The 500 rural towers Orange is deploying are possibly in partnership with such subsidies or arrangements (the mention of a 10-year agreement with NuRAN for rural sites could involve subsidized operations) connectingafrica.com.

In terms of policy for satellite and new technologies, the government’s openness to Starlink is notable. Not all African countries have permitted Starlink quickly (some have bureaucratic hurdles or concerns). Madagascar granting authorization in 2023 shows a pragmatic approach – leveraging satellite to reach remote regions that terrestrial networks still can’t. Additionally, the government is exploring the concept of “ICT villages” powered by solar panels, as mentioned in a recent Digital Observatory report dig.watch dig.watch. These ICT villages would provide hubs for telemedicine, e-learning, and broadband in underserved regions, indicating innovative models are on the table (possibly inspired by successful pilots in other countries).

In summary, the government of Madagascar is actively engaged in expanding internet access through liberalization, public-private partnerships, rural connectivity programs, and digital governance reforms. While funding and capacity are limited (Madagascar is a low-income country with many competing needs), the political will to improve connectivity is clearly present. The initiatives to connect villages, the welcoming of companies like Starlink and Huawei for rural coverage, and the integration of ICT in development plans all signal a strong commitment to narrowing the digital gap. If these efforts sustain, they could significantly raise internet penetration in the coming years, bringing more of Madagascar’s people online.

The Role and Availability of Satellite Internet (Starlink, VSAT, and More)

Given Madagascar’s geography – a large island with difficult terrain and many isolated communities – satellite internet plays a crucial role in reaching areas beyond the telecom grid. Before the advent of the new LEO constellations, Madagascar relied on traditional satellite solutions to a modest extent; now, with SpaceX’s Starlink and others on the horizon, satellite connectivity is entering a new era in the country.

Historically, VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) satellite connections were used in Madagascar to connect remote offices, schools, and even cellular towers. As early as the mid-2000s, providers like Gulfsat/Blueline installed hundreds of VSAT stations across Madagascar africa2trust.com wisigroup.com. These provided dial-up or basic broadband speeds via geostationary satellites – crucial in places where there were no fiber lines or reliable microwave links. For example, banks and government offices outside major cities often used VSAT to connect to headquarters. Additionally, the telecom operators themselves have long used satellite for backhaul redundancy. A case study by Hughes notes that a Malagasy mobile carrier integrated Hughes satellite terminals to backhaul its GSM 2G/EDGE base stations in rural areas hughes.com hughes.com. By using satellite links, the operator extended its cell coverage without waiting for fiber or microwave to be built – a strategy that “solved the problem” of expensive terrestrial backhaul in sparsely populated regions hughes.com. Even today, some distant island communities (e.g., off the Malagasy coast) or mining sites deep in the interior rely on VSAT for internet and phone service.

However, traditional VSAT has limitations: high latency (due to satellites 36,000 km up), relatively low speeds, and high cost. This meant it was used sparingly, mainly by organizations that truly needed connectivity regardless of cost. Now, the landscape is changing with low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations like Starlink. LEO satellites orbit only 550 km above Earth, drastically reducing latency and allowing fiber-like speeds via satellite. Starlink’s entry into Madagascar in 2024 has been a game changer for those who can afford it. By June 2024, Starlink officially started commercial service in Madagascar after receiving the necessary government approvals ecofinagency.com ecofinagency.com. It immediately offered a service plan with unlimited high-speed data for 226,000 Ariary ($50) per month ecofinagency.com. Speeds on Starlink in Madagascar can exceed 50–150 Mbps, and latency is around 20–40 milliseconds – hugely better than older satellite internet and even competitive with urban fiber performance.

The impact of Starlink is particularly evident in remote regions: Suddenly, a village in e.g. southern Madagascar that had no connectivity can install a Starlink dish and get a fast internet link. Early adopters included eco-tourism lodges, which need internet for their foreign guests; humanitarian and research stations in biodiverse but isolated areas; and wealthy individuals or tech enthusiasts. Over time, Starlink could also be adopted by community cooperatives – for instance, a community center or school could subscribe and share the Wi-Fi among local residents. It’s still an expensive service by Malagasy standards, but its value in underserved areas is unparalleled. Government and NGOs are eyeing Starlink as a solution for things like telemedicine kits in rural clinics or connecting schools to online educational resources. Notably, by one estimate Starlink captured around 10% of the internet market within months pulse.internetsociety.org, which shows how much unmet demand existed for reliable connectivity (this figure might refer to share of bandwidth or new subscriptions – either way, it’s significant).

Besides Starlink, other satellite services in the “broadband-from-space” category are also relevant. OneWeb, a LEO satellite constellation backed by a consortium including the UK government and others, is in the process of deploying global coverage and might target enterprise or government users in countries like Madagascar. OneWeb satellites deliver somewhat lower speeds per user than Starlink but can still bring multi-Mbps connections to hard-to-reach areas. Another name is Project Kuiper by Amazon, expected to start launching satellites by 2024–2025; it could eventually offer consumer satellite internet that might compete with Starlink. While neither OneWeb nor Kuiper is yet active in Madagascar, the regulatory framework that welcomed Starlink presumably would welcome them too, as long as they go through local licensing. This means in a few years Madagascar could benefit from multiple LEO satellite options, potentially driving prices down through competition.

Moreover, traditional satellite providers haven’t disappeared. Companies like Intelsat, SES, Eutelsat provide geostationary satellite broadband coverage over Africa. They often work through local ISPs. For example, a company or even a household could still get a satellite internet connection using a service like VSAT Broadband from an ISP (GlobalTT, for instance, advertises satellite internet in Madagascar with various packages globaltt.com). These typically require a 1.2m dish and can provide a few Mbps. While Starlink might overshadow them on performance, some remote users might opt for these if Starlink availability or stock is an issue, or if they want a different pricing model (some VSAT plans can be metered by usage which might end up cheaper if one uses very little data, whereas Starlink is a flat monthly fee).

One interesting trend is hybrid use of satellite: some cellular operators may use Starlink or other satellites as backhaul for cell sites. Instead of a fixed VSAT, they could put a Starlink dish at a remote 4G tower, which would give that tower a high-speed link to the core network. This could vastly improve mobile internet in remote regions without fiber. In fact, SpaceX has advertised Starlink for “cellular backhaul” globally, and it’s plausible that in Madagascar the operators are considering it (especially since some remote 4G sites might currently be limited by older satellite links). Similarly, Starlink introduced a product called “Direct to Cell” for linking directly with standard phones; while that’s future tech (planned for 2025+), Madagascar could benefit from that down the line (this would enable texting or even broadband to normal phones via satellites when out of tower range).

In summary, satellite internet has moved from a niche fallback to a mainstream component of Madagascar’s connectivity ecosystem. Starlink’s arrival has demonstrated the demand for reliable internet in areas that other technologies haven’t reached. The government’s openness to satellite solutions – whether it’s partnering with providers or using satellites to connect schools and clinics – augments the terrestrial efforts (fiber and towers). Challenges remain, notably cost: satellite gear and subscriptions are expensive, and beyond the reach of the average Malagasy household. But even here, creative models (community Wi-Fi sharing, donor-funded installations, etc.) are emerging to make use of these satellites for social good. As the technology advances and economies of scale kick in, satellite internet may become increasingly affordable. For now, it stands as a lifeline for connectivity in Madagascar’s remotest corners, ensuring that even if one is on a mountain, in a rainforest, or on a small island off the coast, the digital world is not entirely out of reach.

Pricing and Affordability of Internet Access

One of the biggest hurdles to increasing internet uptake in Madagascar is affordability. The cost of devices and data services is high relative to incomes, making internet access a luxury for many Malagasy. Here we examine the pricing of internet services and how Madagascar compares in terms of affordability.

For mobile internet, which is how most people would get online, prices have historically been high. Data bundles from the major operators cost several thousand Ariary for just a few hundred megabytes. As an example, Orange Madagascar’s prepaid data packages (circa 2023) included offers like 4.5 GB for 30,000 Ariary (~US$7) valid for 30 days mindofahitchhiker.com mindofahitchhiker.com. They also had a larger 12 GB bundle for 75,000 Ar (~US$17) mindofahitchhiker.com. This translates to roughly $1.40 per GB at best in those bundles. Smaller packages were even less cost-effective (e.g., 1 GB for 7 days cost around 35,000 Ar, or >$7 per GB) prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com. Given that Madagascar’s GDP per capita is only around $500 (and much lower in rural areas), these prices put regular internet use out of reach for many. A person living on a few dollars a day cannot afford to spend $7 for 1 GB that might be consumed in a short time.

In practical terms, many Malagasy users “ration” their internet – they might buy a 100 MB or 200 MB package for a day or use zero-rated services (like free basics or WhatsApp bundles) if offered. The travel blog “Mind of a Hitchhiker” noted “data in Madagascar ain’t cheap” and that even larger packages don’t give much of a bulk discount mindofahitchhiker.com. This is consistent with broader analyses of African data costs: countries with less competition and lower economies of scale tend to have pricier internet. The entry of a fourth operator (bip) and the regulatory push have started to introduce some more competitive data pricing, but Telma and Orange, being the dominant players, still set a price floor that is relatively high.

A common metric for affordability is the percentage of income needed to buy a basic data package. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) recommend that 1 GB of data (or a basic connectivity package) cost no more than 2% of monthly gross national income (GNI) per capita. Madagascar is far from that target. In 2024, it was estimated that a low-consumption mobile internet package (using at least 3G) cost about 7.32% of average GNI per capita pulse.internetsociety.org. This means an average Malagasy would have to spend roughly a week’s income just to afford a basic monthly internet plan – clearly unaffordable for most. Madagascar ranked poorly on affordability indices; for perspective, 7.3% of GNI is several times the level in countries like Mauritius or South Africa, and even higher than many other Least Developed Countries. The high cost is a barrier especially for the poor and those in rural areas (where incomes are lower than the national average).

Fixed broadband services, where available, are also expensive. Telma’s fiber packages in Antananarivo, for instance, can cost tens of dollars per month for relatively modest speeds, often bundled with IPTV or phone service. Such offerings are targeted at businesses or affluent households. It’s telling that fixed broadband penetration is near zero (0.11% of people) theglobaleconomy.com theglobaleconomy.com – partly because the infrastructure is lacking, but also because the cost is prohibitive for ordinary citizens. The vast majority simply rely on mobile prepaid data.

The arrival of Starlink adds an interesting dimension to pricing. Starlink’s flat rate of ~$50/month is actually cheaper per GB for heavy usage (Starlink is unlimited with no data caps) compared to mobile data – but $50 is an enormous sum in Madagascar (far above the average monthly income). Thus, Starlink isn’t competing in the same market as mobile data for most individuals; it’s serving institutions, businesses, and wealthier users. For those who do opt for Starlink, it provides great value in terms of performance, but the upfront cost (over $250 for the dish, even after a 29% launch discount ecofinagency.com) and the monthly fee mean it will likely remain a niche solution unless prices drop. There is potential for shared usage – e.g., if a village collectively pays for Starlink and then shares Wi-Fi at a small fee per user, that could distribute the cost and make it feasible. Some innovative financing or subsidy models might emerge.

One bright spot is that increased competition and new technology should gradually push prices down. The government’s liberalization effort explicitly aims to “lower consumer prices” ecofinagency.com. With Orange and Airtel fighting for market share against Telma, we might see more aggressive data promotions. For example, in some African markets competition has led to “daily free WhatsApp” or cheap night data bundles. If the Malagasy operators introduce such schemes, more people could afford at least limited connectivity. Also, as 4G coverage expands and more users come online, operators get more revenue volume and can potentially reduce unit prices. There is evidence of slight improvements: the Hitchhiker blog noted that data prices seemed to get “cheaper in the meantime (though data is still expensive)” compared to a few years prior mindofahitchhiker.com. This suggests that, slowly, the cost per GB is dropping.

The government or regulator can also intervene on pricing by regulating tariffs or supporting an “affordable internet” package. Some countries have mandated a low-cost package for broadband as a basic service. There’s no indication Madagascar has done this yet, but ARTEC could consider measures like price caps or facilitating infrastructure sharing to lower costs (e.g., if Telma’s backbone is open at fair rates to others, they can deliver service cheaper rather than duplicating networks).

Another facet is the cost of devices. A sizeable barrier is that many people cannot afford a smartphone, which is necessary for full internet access. A basic Android smartphone in Madagascar might cost on the order of 100,000 Ariary (~$22) for a low-end model, while better ones are much more. For low-income families, this is a major purchase. The government has at times worked with partners to distribute devices for schools or tried to eliminate import taxes on smartphones to reduce prices (some African countries have done so). Still, device affordability remains a challenge, especially for women – recall that only 29% of women in one rural study had access to a mobile phone at all blog.tsfi.org. Without a phone, the cost of data is irrelevant.

To illustrate pricing in context, here’s a hypothetical comparison of monthly internet costs in Madagascar:

• Basic 1.5 GB mobile data bundle: ~20,000 Ariary (about US$4.50). This might last an average user a month if used sparingly (mostly messaging and a bit of browsing). For someone earning, say, 200,000 Ar/month, this is 10% of their income.
• Moderate 5 GB mobile data bundle: ~50,000 Ariary (US$11) with a 30-day validity mindofahitchhiker.com prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com. 5 GB is a modest amount of data (just streaming a couple of HD movies would consume that), yet it costs a quarter of a typical Malagasy’s monthly income in many cases.
• Home fiber broadband (if in Tana): Telma’s FTTH plans can range from 100,000 Ar to 300,000 Ar ($22–$66) per month for various speeds. Clearly only upper-middle-class households or businesses subscribe to these.
• Starlink satellite: 226,000 Ar (~$50) a month ecofinagency.com, plus initial $250 equipment. Likely affordable only to businesses, expats, or through pooled community/NGO funds.

With such costs, it’s apparent why internet usage is low – it’s not just a coverage issue, but an economic one. Many citizens must prioritize basic needs, and internet access, while desired, comes lower on the list. This is why even where 4G coverage exists, the adoption rate (people actually using the internet) lags behind. It’s also why we see people using strategies like sharing one smartphone among a family, using free public Wi-Fi hotspots when available (for example, some city spots or universities have Wi-Fi), and using internet cafés. Internet cafés (cybercafés) have diminished with mobile internet rise, but they still exist in towns and provide access at hourly rates, which can be cheaper for infrequent use.

To make internet truly inclusive, Madagascar will likely need both market-driven price reductions and targeted measures (like subsidies for rural areas or low-income users). International comparisons highlight that Madagascar’s data prices are out of step with affordability norms. The presence of only three major mobile operators historically led to a sort of oligopoly pricing. Introducing new technologies (like the cheaper capacity from 2Africa cable) should help – as international bandwidth cost goes down, operators can lower retail data prices. The government could also consider reducing or eliminating certain telecom taxes that pass costs to consumers.

In conclusion, internet in Madagascar is expensive relative to incomes, posing a significant barrier to higher penetration. Progress is being made incrementally – data is slowly getting cheaper and new entrants like Starlink provide more options – but there is still a long way to go. Addressing affordability will require continued competition, wise regulation, and perhaps innovative solutions like community networks or subsidies, so that one day even those living on a few dollars a day can afford to join the online world.

Challenges to Connectivity: Geography, Infrastructure, and Regulation

Madagascar faces a unique set of challenges in expanding internet connectivity, stemming from its geography, economic conditions, and infrastructural limitations. Understanding these hurdles is key to formulating solutions.

Geographic challenges: Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, stretching over 1,500 km north to south with terrain ranging from coastal plains to central highlands and dense rainforests. This geography makes it difficult and costly to build communication infrastructure. Many villages are isolated by mountains or forests, and roads are often poor or non-existent. Laying fiber-optic cables over such distances and landscapes is expensive and slow. Even extending electrical power is a problem – only around 15% of Madagascar’s population has access to electricity (and much less in rural areas), meaning powering cell towers or internet facilities in remote areas requires generators or solar panels. The climate also poses challenges: Madagascar is prone to cyclones, especially on the east coast, which can damage telecom infrastructure. Heavy rains and flooding can wash out roads and poles, hindering maintenance. As an island, Madagascar cannot easily interconnect with neighboring countries by land; it must rely on undersea cables or satellites for external connectivity. While several undersea cables now land in Madagascar, they concentrate on a few coastal landing points – if those are in hard-to-reach areas (e.g., Toliara in the southwest for EASSy, or Diego Suarez in the north for future cables), distributing that bandwidth inland requires robust backhaul networks.

Infrastructure deficits: The country’s core internet infrastructure has improved (with fiber backbone and submarine cables), but the “last-mile” coverage remains a big challenge. Last-mile refers to the connection from the town or tower to the end user. In urban areas, last-mile might be mobile 4G signal or FTTH; in rural, it might be 3G or nothing at all. Madagascar still has large swathes of territory with no mobile signal or only basic 2G voice coverage. According to Internet Society, only 71% of the population had 4G available and 92% had any mobile signal (as of a few years ago) theglobaleconomy.com. That implies about 8% of people live completely out of network range – which on an island of 32 million is around 2.5 million people entirely off-grid. Reaching these areas is difficult because operators find it hard to justify the investment for small, dispersed populations. The government’s initiative with Huawei to cover 1,600 villages is directly targeting this gap, but 1,600 villages is a fraction of the total villages in Madagascar. So coverage is still a work in progress. Even where there is coverage, quality can be an issue: “patchy” and weak signals are common outside cities operatorwatch.com. Users often complain of dropped connections or slow speeds, especially during peak hours when networks get congested.

Another infrastructural challenge is interconnection and redundancy. In the past, Madagascar had a notorious lack of redundancy: for example, when the EASSy undersea cable broke in 2017, internet speeds plummeted for the whole country because the backup route via the LION cable was not effectively utilized (partly due to Telma vs Orange competitiveness) consultingjulian.com consultingjulian.com. While now there are multiple cables and presumably better peering, it’s critical that providers cooperate to use alternate routes during outages. The existence of an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Antananarivo is a plus – Madagascar has one IXP – but it was reported that <1% of networks in the country connect to it pulse.internetsociety.org pulse.internetsociety.org. This suggests that local internet traffic often trombones out to foreign servers and back because local ISPs might not be peering sufficiently. Improving local traffic exchange (caching content inside Madagascar, etc.) can make the internet experience faster and less dependent on expensive international links. (The good news: about 57% of the top websites’ content is available from local caches within Madagascar, above the Africa average pulse.internetsociety.org pulse.internetsociety.org, likely thanks to CDNs like Google and Akamai having a presence.)

Economic challenges: We touched on affordability in the prior section – poverty is a fundamental barrier. Even if infrastructure is present, many people can’t afford to use it. This challenge is intertwined with education and literacy. Madagascar has relatively low literacy rates and very limited digital literacy in rural areas. Many who are offline are not only because of cost but also because they lack the skills or awareness to use the internet. Thus, demand-side issues like digital literacy programs (teaching people how to use smartphones, how the internet can benefit them) must go hand in hand with supply-side rollout. The TSF initiative described earlier shows that some women, even when given access, were hesitant or unsure how to use phones and feared breaking them blog.tsfi.org. Overcoming this requires community training and confidence-building in digital skills. Without increasing the human capacity to use the internet, the infrastructure might sit underutilized.

Regulatory and political challenges: While the government is supportive now, Madagascar has had political instability in the past which can disrupt long-term infrastructure projects. Regulatory clarity is also important – the Telma 5G hiccup in 2020 datacenterdynamics.com shows that if rules are not clear or if the regulator and operators clash, it can delay advancements. Ensuring a transparent, fair regulatory environment is crucial to attract foreign investment (like the Orange license renewal, or potential new operators). Madagascar also needs to maintain a balance such that one player (Telma in this case) doesn’t abuse dominance – ARTEC rating market competition as “very poor” pulse.internetsociety.org suggests that more pro-competitive measures may be needed to give Airtel, Orange, and others a fair playing field (and by extension, consumers more choice). That said, imposing too heavy regulations or price controls could backfire if it dissuades investment – so the regulator’s role is delicate.

Another challenge is the coordination of efforts. There are various stakeholders: government ministries, ARTEC, telecom companies, international donors, NGOs, and so forth all working on connectivity from different angles. For maximum impact, these efforts should be aligned – e.g., if a World Bank road project is paving a highway, that’s a perfect time to lay fiber along it (dig once). Indeed, Telma’s fiber following national roads is an example documents1.worldbank.org, possibly piggybacking on road improvements. The government can enact policies to require or encourage that kind of coordination (like mandating ducts for fiber in new road constructions).

Electricity and supporting infrastructure: A frequently overlooked challenge for telecom is electricity and security. In rural Madagascar, powering cell towers means either hooking to a diesel generator or solar panels with battery storage. Fuel is costly and has to be transported to sites; solar requires upfront expense and battery replacements. If power isn’t reliable, networks go down or operate intermittent schedules. Additionally, in some remote areas, vandalism or theft of solar panels, fuel, or even cable (copper theft) can occur. Operators have to invest in security or suffer outages. These increase operating costs, which then reflect in consumer prices or slower rollout.

Environmental factors: Madagascar’s environment is unique and precious; sometimes there are environmental considerations in building infrastructure (e.g., avoiding protected areas, etc.). While not a major blocker in most cases, it’s part of planning challenges.

To illustrate a specific incident of challenge: In early 2022, there were reports of widespread connectivity issues after a cyclone hit and at around the same time one of the major submarine cables had an outage. The combination left certain regions cut off. Such events highlight the need for resilience – e.g., having microwave links or other backup between regions of Madagascar in case fiber routes are severed, and having quick repair capabilities for undersea cables. Madagascar has limited specialized resources domestically (like cable repair ships), so it relies on international consortia for that (as seen with the EASSy break repair that required sending a ship from South Africa and took 15 days consultingjulian.com).

In summary, Madagascar’s connectivity challenges are multi-faceted:

• Geographic isolation and difficult terrain make infrastructure deployment costly.
• Underdeveloped infrastructure (roads, power) hampers telecom rollout.
• Economic constraints limit both supply (investment) and demand (affordability, literacy).
• Market dynamics have historically limited competition, though improving now.
• Environmental and climate risks pose threats to infrastructure reliability.
• Regulatory capacity needs to ensure fair competition and encourage innovation while protecting consumer interests.

Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort: creative engineering solutions (like solar-powered micro towers, community networks), strategic partnerships (like with satellite providers or development banks), smart subsidies or incentives, and building local technical skills. The good news is many of these are being pursued – we see solar ICT villages, donor projects, and liberalization policies as steps in the right direction. Overcoming such challenges is not easy and will take time, but Madagascar is slowly chipping away at them to ensure that its internet revolution reaches all its citizens, not just those in the biggest cities.

Comparisons with Other African Nations

When evaluating Madagascar’s internet access, it’s useful to compare its progress and challenges with those of other African countries. Madagascar presents a mixed picture: in some ways it lags behind continental averages and peers, while in other niche areas it has been a pioneer. Here’s how Madagascar stacks up on key metrics and initiatives relative to other nations in Africa:

• Internet Penetration: As noted earlier, Madagascar’s ~20% internet penetration is well below the average for Africa (~39%) pulse.internetsociety.org. It also trails many individual Sub-Saharan countries – for example, Kenya (~33% in 2023), Nigeria (~39%), Ghana (~53%), South Africa (~75%) datahub.itu.int. Even some low-income African countries have higher rates (e.g., Senegal around 35%, Zambia ~32%). In the East African region, Madagascar’s penetration is roughly on par with Ethiopia’s (~25%) and higher than conflict-affected countries like DRC, but lower than neighbors like Comoros (~30%+) or Mauritius (nearly 80%). This puts Madagascar among the lower tier in connectivity on the continent. The table in a previous section already highlighted this gap: Madagascar is closer to countries like Malawi (18%) and far from the likes of South Africa or Mauritius. The low penetration reflects Madagascar’s poverty and rural isolation issues, which many mainland countries (especially smaller or more urbanized ones) don’t face to the same extent.
• Mobile Network Coverage: In terms of population coverage by mobile signals, Madagascar is actually not the worst – a few countries in Central/West Africa still have significant uncovered populations. With 92%+ having some mobile coverage theglobaleconomy.com, Madagascar is doing reasonably well (e.g., compare to Chad or South Sudan which have large uncovered areas). For 4G specifically, ~71% coverage in Madagascar pulse.internetsociety.org is just a tad below the African average for 4G coverage. Countries like Kenya, Nigeria, etc., have been expanding 4G and might have similar or slightly higher percentages. South Africa and North African countries are near universal 4G coverage in populated areas. So Madagascar is in the middle pack for mobile coverage – not among the very best, but not among the worst either.
• Broadband Speed and Quality: On average speeds, Madagascar has an interesting story. In 2018, there was an anecdote that Madagascar had one of the fastest average broadband speeds in Africa due to a quirk (Telma’s fiber network wasn’t heavily loaded, pushing up the average). Currently, speeds around 20–24 Mbps (mobile/fixed) pulse.internetsociety.org put Madagascar somewhere in the mid-range for Africa. It’s slower than the continent’s leaders (South Africa, Kenya, Morocco all have higher average speeds, often 30–50+ Mbps due to fiber and 4G+ deployments), but faster than some of the poorest nations that still rely heavily on 3G. The presence of ample submarine capacity (with 2Africa’s huge bandwidth) could allow Madagascar’s speeds to jump ahead if last-mile networks improve. It’s also notable that Madagascar was the second country in Africa (after South Africa) to have a 5G network go live (back in 2020) extensia.tech. Although that 5G launch was very limited and short-lived due to regulatory pushback, it shows that Madagascar was on the cutting edge in that instance. By contrast, many African countries still have not launched 5G as of 2025 (only about 5–6 countries have some form of 5G). So in terms of technology adoption, Madagascar has been willing to experiment early.
• Affordability: On the ITU’s affordability metrics (percentage of GNI for 1 GB or basic package), Madagascar ranks poorly – likely in the bottom quartile of African countries. For example, countries like Egypt, Kenya, or Rwanda have managed to get 1 GB prices to 1–2% of monthly income in urban areas, whereas Madagascar’s 1 GB equivalent is many times that pulse.internetsociety.org. According to the A4AI Affordability Index (2021), Madagascar was near rank 40 out of 72 countries, lagging in policies and infrastructure that enable affordable access. Cheaper markets like Sudan, Nigeria, or Mauritius rank much better. This suggests Madagascar could learn from other nations’ approaches to reducing costs (e.g., infrastructure sharing mandated in countries like Peru or South Africa, or demand aggregation in rural areas as done in Botswana).
• Use of Satellite: In embracing LEO satellite internet, Madagascar is among the early movers in Africa. Starlink’s expansion across Africa has been gradual; by mid-2024 it was in about a dozen countries (Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, etc.) ecofinagency.com. Madagascar joined that list, whereas many African countries in 2025 still do not have Starlink available due to regulatory or market issues. This positions Madagascar alongside forward-looking countries like Kenya and Nigeria in leveraging satellite to connect the unconnected. It’s also worth noting that other nations have tried different approaches: for instance, Kenya had Google’s Project Loon (balloon-based internet) running a pilot during 2020 in rural areas. Madagascar did not have Loon, but with Starlink it achieves a similar goal via another means.
• Government Initiatives Comparison: Many African governments have broadband or ICT plans, but implementation varies. A comparison can be made with, say, Kenya, which has a robust National Broadband Strategy and has facilitated a thriving ICT sector (hence why Kenya has higher internet usage). Rwanda is another interesting comparison: Rwanda is also a low-income country with a largely rural population, yet it has about 26% internet penetration and bold initiatives like a national fiber backbone to all districts and a push for 4G through a single wholesale network. Madagascar’s approach of working with Huawei to connect villages is somewhat akin to Uganda’s approach of building rural base stations via PPPs, or Nigeria’s recent rural broadband initiatives.
• Digital Governance: Madagascar’s creation of a Digital Governance Unit and digital ID program puts it in step with countries like Togo or Nigeria which are also pushing digital IDs and e-government. However, one area Madagascar lags is cybersecurity and data protection – it lacks an operational CERT or fully implemented data protection authority dig.watch, whereas many African countries have in recent years established those. Madagascar’s Global Cybersecurity Index score is quite low (23/100) pulse.internetsociety.org, indicating it needs to catch up in building cyber readiness compared to African peers like Mauritius or Kenya which score much higher.
• Local Content and IXPs: Some African nations have vibrant local internet ecosystems with multiple IXPs and local hosting (e.g., Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa). Madagascar having one IXP with low utilization shows it has room to develop its internet ecosystem. Encouragingly, the locally cached content stat (57%) pulse.internetsociety.org is above the African average, meaning that companies like Google, Cloudflare are caching in Madagascar. That is similar to e.g. Kenya which had 58% cached pulse.internetsociety.org. So in that regard, Madagascar isn’t far behind in content localization.
• Other metrics: The Network Readiness Index and similar benchmarks typically rank Madagascar quite low (in the bottom 10 of African countries), due to weaknesses in ICT access, skills, and usage. Comparatively, countries of similar GDP per capita such as Ethiopia or Malawi are also low, while those that have invested more in ICT (like Ghana, Senegal, or even landlocked but organized Rwanda) outperform.
• Investment and Future Plans: Many African countries are currently rolling out large fiber projects or 5G networks. For instance, Ethiopia is opening its telecom market and expects big investments; Kenya is extending fiber to more counties; South Africa is doing 5G in multiple cities. Madagascar’s future plans involve the 2Africa cable which few other countries have (only 16 African countries will get a landing). This could be a strategic advantage – if Madagascar leverages that huge capacity, it might attract BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) companies or call centers, like Mauritius did years ago. Telma has hinted at this competitive advantage for attracting BPOs axian-telecom.com. In that sense, Madagascar might emulate Mauritius (which turned itself into a cyber-island with ICT being a big GDP contributor) – however, Mauritius also had high literacy and reliable power, which Madagascar must improve to fully capitalize.

To encapsulate the comparisons:

• Madagascar is behind many African countries in basic access stats (penetration, affordability).
• It is comparable or slightly ahead of peers with similar economic profiles in terms of coverage and technology trials.
• It has shown leadership in certain areas (early 5G attempt, embracing Starlink, large submarine cable connectivity).
• The challenges it faces (rural access, poverty) are more akin to large African countries like DRC or Mozambique, whereas small island states like Mauritius or even Reunion (a French territory near Madagascar) are far ahead in connectivity.

The comparisons illustrate that Madagascar has significant ground to cover to meet continental averages and SDG targets for universal internet access. At the same time, the steps it’s taking align with best practices seen in other countries: infrastructure sharing, public-private partnerships for rural coverage, leveraging international cables, and adopting new technologies like satellite and 5G. The hope is that Madagascar can leapfrog in certain aspects, learning from successes elsewhere in Africa while avoiding pitfalls (such as monopolies or unsustainable subsidy schemes). As more of Africa comes online (the continent as a whole is rapidly increasing internet use, expected to cross 50% penetration by the latter 2020s), Madagascar will need to keep pace to remain competitive and to ensure its citizens are not left behind in the digital age.

Future Outlook: Investments and Technological Rollouts

Looking ahead, Madagascar’s internet landscape is poised for further improvements. Several planned investments and emerging technologies could significantly boost connectivity in the coming years, potentially accelerating the country’s digital revolution.

One of the most impactful developments will be the full activation of the 2Africa submarine cable system. By late 2023, the Madagascar branch of 2Africa was expected to be ready for service axian-telecom.com connectingafrica.com. As 2024 and 2025 progress, that cable – with its enormous design capacity of up to 180 Terabits per second axian-telecom.com connectingafrica.com – will start carrying traffic. This will multiply Madagascar’s international bandwidth many times over (far exceeding the combined capacity of older cables like EASSy and LION). The immediate benefit is increased resilience and the ability for providers to offer faster speeds and potentially lower costs thanks to abundant capacity. Telma, which partnered in the 2Africa landing, will likely use it to upgrade backhaul for its 4G/5G networks and maybe introduce higher-speed fixed broadband plans. Other operators could possibly obtain capacity from Telma or consortium partners, ensuring they too can deliver better service. In essence, 2Africa positions Madagascar to meet rising data demand for the next decade or more axian-telecom.com axian-telecom.com. It’s also a selling point for attracting ICT businesses; as Telma’s CEO noted, this connectivity can help bring sectors like BPO and call centers (digital jobs) to Madagascar axian-telecom.com axian-telecom.com. If the country can combine that with improvements in power and human capital, it might emulate Mauritius’s success as an offshore services hub.

On the domestic front, fiber optic expansion is likely to continue. Telma has already built a 10,000 km backbone connecting major cities axian-telecom.com. Future plans could include extending fiber to more district capitals and even fiber-to-the-home in additional neighborhoods. The “north backbone” mentioned by Orange (which invested in a new north-south fiber route) connectingafrica.com is part of this trend – more redundancy and capacity within the country. Additionally, other players might invest in fiber: for instance, if a new entrant ISP comes or if the government decides to build a national fiber backbone as a public utility (some countries do this to ensure open access). There is also discussion of new cables like Africa-1 and IOX that were proposed to land in Madagascar consultingjulian.com consultingjulian.com. Africa-1’s status is unclear, but if it materializes, that would add yet another international route. IOX was aimed at connecting Mauritius and Madagascar to India/South Africa, projected by 2019 consultingjulian.com, though it faced funding issues. Possibly, in the late 2020s, those or other regional cables (like METISS expansion or the new “East Africa Cable System” under discussion) could bring additional connectivity.

In terms of mobile network upgrades, the next big step will be 5G rollout. Telma and Orange are both preparing for broader 5G deployment. We can expect that by 2025–2026, once spectrum and regulatory frameworks are ironed out, 5G will be launched in Antananarivo and other major cities commercially. Telma’s initial 5G attempt used 3.6–3.7 GHz band datacenterdynamics.com; going forward, they might reattempt once ARTEC officially awards licenses. Orange has explicitly said it is lining up with Orange Group’s African 5G launches by end of 2024 connectingafrica.com – so we might see Orange Madagascar turn on 5G in late 2024 or 2025 in the capital. The impact of 5G in Madagascar in the near term may not be huge for general consumers (given few 5G-capable devices and the fact that 4G is adequate for most current needs), but it could be transformative for certain use cases: fixed wireless access (home broadband via 5G) could compete with fiber in cities; industries like ports or mines could use 5G for IoT applications; and it generally signals modernization. Importantly, 5G rollout will likely remain limited to urban centers initially. Rural areas will still be served by 4G or 3G for the foreseeable future, because 5G requires dense infrastructure which isn’t feasible to cover vast rural expanses. However, as 4G coverage nears saturation of the population (Orange targeting 90% pop with at least 3G by 2024 connectingafrica.com), more resources can go to capacity upgrades like 5G in cities.

We should also consider the future of satellite in Madagascar’s outlook. Starlink’s growth will continue – SpaceX keeps launching satellites and will bolster its network capacity. That could mean two things: the possibility of price reductions or new plans (e.g., a cheaper, capped data plan) which could make Starlink accessible to more semi-urban users, and the introduction of Starlink Mobility services (for boats, vehicles) which might be useful in Madagascar (for example, connectivity on ships around the island or for tourism vehicles in remote parks). Additionally, OneWeb expects to be global by 2024 – we could see OneWeb partner with a local Malagasy ISP or government to provide connectivity to schools or healthcare centers via its terminals. OneWeb operates through distributors, so one potential future is: a company like Blueline or even Telma could resell OneWeb connections especially in areas outside Starlink’s target market (OneWeb is often more enterprise-focused). If Amazon’s Kuiper constellation launches successfully by 2025-2026, Madagascar could have a second LEO option for consumers, which might spur competition in satellite pricing. All told, the late 2020s might have multiple satellite broadband providers in the Madagascar market, offering diverse plans – a scenario very different from the monopoly of expensive VSAT in the past.

On the policy side, continued government programs are expected. The plan to connect 1,600 villages with Huawei’s help is likely just the first phase. If successful, the government might extend it to more villages, especially if financing from sources like China Eximbank or the World Bank can be secured. Also, by providing connectivity to those villages, it creates a platform for future projects (like e-health, digital agriculture info services) to operate there. Government digital transformation efforts (like the digital ID PRODIGY project) will yield dividends in service delivery and can increase demand for internet as people find more reasons to go online (for instance, if farmers can only get certain market information or subsidies via a mobile app, they’ll adopt it).

Another future aspect is the rise of smartphones and local content. As cheaper smartphones flood the African market (some Chinese and Indian brands now offer Android phones under $30), by 2030 we could see most adults in Madagascar owning an internet-capable phone. This naturally will increase internet usage. Local entrepreneurs might develop more Malagasy-language content and apps, making the internet more relevant to everyday people (right now a barrier is that a lot of content is in French or English, which not everyone is fluent in; having Malagasy e-learning videos, agricultural advice SMS in Malagasy, etc., will boost usefulness).

In terms of ranking and indices, if all goes well, we can expect Madagascar to improve on indices like the ICT Development Index or Affordability Index over the next few years. Key measurable targets might be: pushing internet penetration towards 30% by, say, 2027; reducing the cost of 1 GB to below 5% of GNI (still high, but an improvement); achieving near-universal 4G coverage by late 2020s; and having a functional cybersecurity framework (since that’s a requirement as internet use grows – Madagascar will need to invest in cybersecurity, digital skills training, and perhaps join regional internet exchange initiatives more strongly).

There are also innovations in the broader tech space that could touch Madagascar: for example, TV White Space technology (using unused broadcast frequencies for rural broadband) has been trialed in some African countries – maybe a project could bring that to some parts of Madagascar to deliver village Wi-Fi. Or drones and balloons (like the defunct Loon) could return in some form; for instance, companies are working on High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) to provide connectivity – if those become viable, Madagascar’s wide open areas could be candidates for HAPS coverage zones.

In conclusion, the future of internet access in Madagascar looks more promising than ever:

• Massive international bandwidth via 2Africa (and possibly others) will remove capacity constraints.
• Mobile networks will continue to expand and upgrade, with 4G reaching most people and 5G on the horizon for cities.
• Satellite networks will fill in the gaps and potentially drive down the cost of reaching remote users.
• Government and private investments will connect more villages and improve the policy environment for ICT.
• As a result, by the end of this decade, we can expect Madagascar to have a much more digitally inclusive society. The hope is that internet access will shift from being a privilege of the few to a utility for the many – enabling opportunities in education, business, and social connectivity across this unique island nation. The road ahead still has challenges, but the revolution is underway, and Madagascar’s skies – from mobile masts to Starlink satellites – are lighting up with the signals of progress.

Conclusion

Madagascar’s journey toward widespread internet access is a story of both significant hurdles and encouraging strides. The island’s infrastructure has evolved rapidly, from a single undersea cable two decades ago to multiple high-capacity cables and a nationwide fiber backbone today. Mobile networks have brought connectivity to millions, and cutting-edge solutions like Starlink satellites are reaching those in the most remote corners. Internet penetration remains low at around 20% pulse.internetsociety.org, reflecting deep-rooted challenges of poverty, geography, and limited last-mile reach. Yet, momentum is building: government initiatives are connecting rural villages and promoting digital literacy, while competition and new technologies drive improvements in service.

In comparison to its African peers, Madagascar currently lags in overall connectivity and affordability, but it is leapfrogging in specific areas – it was an early African adopter of 5G connectingafrica.com, and one of the first to embrace LEO satellite internet ecofinagency.com. The coming years promise further integration of Madagascar into the global digital community. With the landing of the giant 2Africa cable and ongoing 4G/5G expansion, users can expect faster speeds, more reliable connections, and (hopefully) more affordable prices as capacity becomes plentiful axian-telecom.com axian-telecom.com.

Challenges persist: vast rural areas still need coverage, internet prices must come down to meet average incomes, and digital skills need spreading to unlock the internet’s benefits for all segments of society. The government’s role will remain crucial in fostering a competitive, investment-friendly environment and in directly supporting access where market forces alone are insufficient. It’s heartening to see policies already aimed at these goals – from liberalization to public-private partnerships like the Huawei village project linkedin.com.

Madagascar’s internet revolution is very much in progress. The image of a rural farmer using a smartphone to check market prices, or a student in a coastal town streaming an online lecture, is becoming more common. From the highlands to the coasts, and from fiber-optic lines underground to satellites in the sky, Madagascar is getting connected. The transformation may not happen overnight, but the trajectory is clear. As investments mature and technologies roll out, Madagascar is poised to narrow the digital divide with the rest of Africa and the world.

In the end, the revolution is as much about people as technology – the millions of Malagasy who will gain a voice, opportunity, and information through the internet. Empowering them is the ultimate goal of all this infrastructure. Inside Madagascar’s internet revolution lies the promise of a more inclusive, prosperous future driven by connectivity – from the mobile networks on the ground to the Starlink satellites now gracing its skies.

Sources:

• Internet Society Pulse – Madagascar Country Report (2024/2025) pulse.internetsociety.org pulse.internetsociety.org
• DataReportal – Digital 2025 Madagascar (2025) datareportal.com datareportal.com
• Ecofin Agency – Starlink Launches Commercial Operations in Madagascar (June 2024) ecofinagency.com ecofinagency.com
• Connecting Africa – Orange Madagascar renews license, plans network expansion (Jan 2024) connectingafrica.com connectingafrica.com
• AXIAN Telecom Press Release – Telma brings 2Africa subsea cable to Madagascar (Feb 2023) axian-telecom.com axian-telecom.com
• Digital Watch Observatory – Madagascar digital profile (2023) dig.watch dig.watch
• Hughes Case Study – Satellite backhaul in Madagascar (2014) hughes.com hughes.com
• TSF (Telecom Sans Frontières) Blog – Digital inclusion for women in Madagascar (2025) blog.tsfi.org blog.tsfi.org
• ConsultingJulian Blog – EASSy cable break impacts Madagascar (2017) consultingjulian.com consultingjulian.com