SkyCommons Observatory

Prototype

SkyCommons Observatory | Space belongs to everyone

Who controls satellite internet?

We’re tracking who profits from connectivity in space and who gets left behind.

A few companies control everything. One dominates.

Around the world, governments are striking deals with satellite internet providers with little to no oversight. Mostly, it’s with Starlink.

Research

Mapping power, exposing risks

We did a baseline study of how low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet was rolled out in six countries and scored them on key public-interest principles, including governance and accountability.

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Brazil

Americas

High

Some connectivity gaps are being closed. Starlink is the dominant provider, shaped by executive lobbying and direct deals. Lack of accountability is a civil society concern, as is what data is collected about the Amazon region and beyond.

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Fiji

Pacific

High

A disaster-resilience measure. Starlink is the only licensed and operational LEO provider in Fiji, bringing telemedicine and online schooling to outer island communities, but with virtually no transparency or accountability.

Indonesia

Asia-Pacific

High

Investigated for unfair competition. A nation of 17,508 islands, the case for LEO connectivity is strong, but with Starlink as the only provider authorised to service consumers, concerns of monopolistic practices run high.

Ukraine

Europe

Moderate

Wartime dependency on a single provider. Starlink was deployed within days of an invasion by Russia in 2022. Now, LEO satellites serve as the national connectivity backbone for military use—as well as for schools, hospitals, and homes.

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Malaysia

Asia-Pacific

Moderate

Limited consumer choice. Rural connectivity gaps are significant, but hardware costs are steep for people in these regions. Starlink is the only provider to consumers, and the terms of their license are not public.

Nigeria

Africa

Moderate

An infrastructure shortcut. LEO satellites reach communities that terrestrial networks cannot. Nigeria has authorized five LEO providers—though Starlink was first and was approved with fewer initial conditions.

Local researchers in each country collected data about the markets and politics surrounding the introduction of LEO satellite services. Each country represents a distinct social and geographic context, including conflict, high and low internet connectivity.

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Top Companies

Satellite internet providers

Five companies are especially visible in space, but one dominates above all others: Starlink, owned by SpaceX.

Explore satellites

Starlink

10,702

Other providers

3,363

OneWeb

651

Kuiper

328

Iridium

Globalstar

Who are we?

SkyCommons Observatory is a ‘Frontiers of Openness’ initiative of the Open Knowledge Foundation to map power, expose risks, and advance public-interest principles, such as openness, interoperability, and accountability into the technical and legal frameworks that govern our common skies—starting with LEO satellite infrastructure. Our aim is to expand this prototype into a permanent global monitoring node that serves as a shared platform for data and research curation, coordination, and advocacy.

About this project