Research and data on business messaging in Kenya and beyond, from Connect Media. Our reports use public sources such as the Communications Authority of Kenya, with full methodology and citations, and are free to quote with a link.
Latest
Grey Routes 2026: SMS Bypass, Inflated Traffic and the Evidence Problem
Published 4 November 2026
What grey routes and inflated SMS traffic are, what the numbers for Kenya and Africa really show, and what to ask your provider.
Earlier reports
USSD in Africa 2026: Why the Oldest Menu in Mobile Money Refuses to Retire
Published 4 November 2026
How much African mobile money still runs on USSD, what that figure rests on, and when the channel suits your service.
88 Million SIMs: What Kenya’s Mobile Numbers Mean for SMS Senders
Published 4 November 2026
Kenya hit 88 million active SIMs by June 2026 while texts per SIM fell. Why the headline misleads, and what senders should check.
The Great Switch-Off 2026: 2G and 3G Shutdowns and What They Mean for SMS
Published 26 October 2026
313 network switch-offs in 89 countries: where 2G and 3G are going dark, Africa’s timeline, and which devices are at risk.
Kenya’s Privacy Payouts 2026: What Spam Texts Now Cost Businesses
Published 26 October 2026
184 compensation orders, KES 5m penalties and a growing caseload: what Kenya’s data regulator now charges for unwanted marketing messages.
Texts from Space 2026: Satellite-to-Phone Messaging Comes to Africa
Published 26 October 2026
How satellites now send SMS straight to ordinary phones, who is live, and what the Airtel Africa and SpaceX deal means for Kenya.
RCS Business Messaging 2026: The SMS Upgrade, the Apple Effect and Kenya’s U-turn
Published 15 October 2026
The Wires Under the Sea: How Fragile Is the Internet? 2026
Published 15 October 2026
The OTP Economy: Codes, Fraud and Passkeys 2026
Published 12 October 2026
Who Is Still Offline? The Global Usage Gap 2026
Published 12 October 2026
Africa’s Mobile Money Map 2026
Published 12 October 2026
SMS or WhatsApp? Business Messaging in Kenya 2026: Reach, Cost and the October Price Change
Published 3 October 2026
Interactive report comparing SMS and WhatsApp in Kenya: who each reaches, cost per message after Meta’s 1 October 2026 pricing change, and a calculator for the best split.
SMS Scams and Fraud in Kenya 2026: What the Regulator’s Complaints Data Shows
Published 2 October 2026
Interactive report on SMS scams in Kenya: fraud complaints to the CA up 83% in a quarter, the World Bank survey, SIM-swap losses, a spot-the-scam quiz and a trust checklist.
Political SMS Around the World: Evidence, Rules and the Road to Kenya’s 2027 Election
Published 2 October 2026
Interactive global report on political SMS: what field experiments show, how Kenya, the UK, US, India and others regulate it, and a compliance checker for Kenya 2027.
