In a fresh push to strengthen digital inclusion worldwide, Microsoft on Tuesday announced a collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to widen connectivity across underserved regions.
The move reflects Microsoft’s readiness to work with Elon Musk’s business network, even as the Tesla CEO is engaged in a legal dispute with Microsoft-backed OpenAI.
“Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships,” Microsoft’s Chief Sustainability Officer Melanie Nakagawa said in a blog post.
As part of the initiative, Microsoft is partnering with Starlink and an internet service provider in Kenya to connect 450 community hubs across the country. The effort is aimed at strengthening local access through shared infrastructure and partnerships.
The collaboration could further boost demand for SpaceX’s satellite services. The space company already holds contracts with the Department of Defense and NASA and may potentially go public this year.
Meanwhile, Musk is pursuing legal action against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. According to a January legal filing, Musk is seeking up to $134 billion from the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation, which controls over $100 billion in equity in the for-profit AI lab. Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 along with several others, including LinkedIn founder and Microsoft board member Reid Hoffman.
Musk has publicly criticised Microsoft on his social platform X and recently said the company “has a responsibility to investigate” Hoffman’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Hoffman responded that he deeply regretted knowing Epstein through a fundraising relationship with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Earlier this month, Musk announced that SpaceX would merge with his AI startup xAI, the company behind the Grok AI model and chatbot, which is gaining traction in technology applications. Last year, Microsoft added support for Grok models within its Foundry cloud software used to build AI-powered applications.
Microsoft has long invested in expanding digital access. In 2022, it set a target to connect over 250 million people to the internet by the end of 2025. The company has now extended connectivity to more than 299 million people, Nakagawa confirmed.
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