List Of Kenya's Top Internet Service Providers Facing Competition From Starlink, Including Safaricom

• Elon Musk-owned Starlink Internet poses stiff competition a year after entering the Kenyan market
• Kenya's leading telecommunications firm Safaricom raised concerns over the satellite internet service, urging the government to regulate it
• Starlink reduced its installation cost and monthly subscription fee, threatening Kenya's leading internet service providers, including Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom

TUKO.co.ke journalist Wycliffe Musalia has over five years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting and offers deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Elon Musk's Starlink has increased competition in Kenya's internet market, causing jitters among leading players.

Leading telecommunications firm Safaricom wrote to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) calling for regulation of the satellite internet service.

Why Starlink poses competition to Safaricom and others

Speaking exclusively to TUKO.co.ke, technology expert Moses Kemibaro explained that Starlink beats Safaricom and other internet providers in terms of speed and package pricing.

"The caveat for Safaricom is the price. It gets more interesting because the speeds are typically anywhere from 100Mbps to 200Mbps, which is much faster than the majority of speeds offered by fiber ISPs, which also cost more than two to three times as much if you want these speeds," said Kemibaro.

A year after it set its base in the country, Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, announced discounted offers for its hardware kits and subscription fees.

Starlink reduced its installation fee from KSh 89,000 to KSh 29,000, availing its kits at Naivas Supermarket.

The firm assured Kenyans of a new package before the end of the year dubbed Starlink Mini, which will cost half the price of its 50GB Standard Plan.

According to DBIP, Kenya's leading internet service providers (ISPs) are Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom, among others.

Which Kenyan ISPs face Starlink Internet competition?

1. Safaricom Internet

Safaricom Internet is offered by Safaricom PLC and its speed ranges between 8 – 100Mbps.

Safaricom home packages include Bronze (8Mbps for KSh 2,999), Silver (20Mbps for 4,100), Gold (40Mbps for 6,299), and Diamond (100Mbps for KSh 12,499).

It also offers Home Plus 5000 (35GB + 2500Min + 5000SMS) for KSh 5,000 and Medium offices of 20-30 users (10Mbps) for KES 15,699.

The company increased its 5G connectivity, building over 1,000 sites across all 47 counties to tame the rising market competition.

2. Airtel Internet

Airtel Kenya offers internet packages ranging from 4G SmartBox 40GB for KSh 2,000, 4G SmartBox 70GB for KSh 3,000, and 4G SmartBox 100GB for KSh 4,000, all valid for 30 days.

Airtel 5G Unlimited 50 Mbps costs subscribers KSh 7,500 for 30 days and provides uninterrupted connectivity for up to 5 hours during power outages.

3. Telkom Internet

The service is offered by Jambonet Autonomous System Limited.

Telkom Internet offers bundles from 5 -100GB with a price range of KSh 250 – 5,500, and the package is valid for 30 days.

4. Zuku Internet

Zuku internet is offered by Wananchi Group (K) Limited, and its speed range is 10 – 500Mbps.

The package price range is KES 2,799 – 6,299, with internet-only packages costing KSh 2,799 for 10Mbps, KSh 4,199 for 20Mbps and KSh 5,999 for 60Mbps.

5. Faiba internet

Jamii Telecommunications Limited provides Faiba internet at a price range of between KSh 5,250 – 55,000.

Faiba home plans include 40Mbps (KSh 5,000), 65Mbps (KSh 10,000), 90Mbps (KSh 15,000) and 140Mbps (KSh 20,000). Faiba's business plan, 120Mbps (ideal for 51-65 users), costs KSh 55,000.

Starlink internet rental offer

The American billionaire Elon Musk continues to provide stiff competition to Safaricom and other internet service providers in Kenya through his Starlink company.

The company introduced a monthly rental option for the kit, giving a chance to Kenyans who cannot afford to pay for it all at once.

Buyers are required to pay a KSh 2,700 one-time activation charge. The monthly rental charge is KSh 1,950 without a time limit.

What to know about Starlink

• Kenyans installing unlimited, high-speed Starlink internet pay KSh 29,999 for the kit and a KSh 6,500 installation fee.
• Naivas Supermarket retailed the kit at the discounted offer of more than half the price of the kit in its select Nairobi branches.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke

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