American satellite internet provider Starlink has introduced a kit rental option in Kenya. The satellite division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX announced this new offering, allowing customers to pay a one-time activation fee of Ksh.2,700. Afterward, users will pay a monthly hardware rental fee of Ksh.1,950, with service plans starting at Ksh.1,300 per month.
Starlink assures that the rental option delivers the same internet speeds of up to 200Mbps. Since its entry into the Kenyan market in July 2023, Starlink has been providing competitively priced internet packages with improved speed. However, the high cost of hardware has deterred many potential buyers.
Initially, the Starlink kit was priced at Ksh.74,000 in Kenya, but prices have since decreased as the kits became available in retail outlets like Carrefour and online platforms like Jumia. Earlier this year, the hardware cost was reduced to Ksh.39,500, and last month, another offer brought the price down to Ksh.29,000.
Starlink has also introduced more affordable service plans to compete with local internet providers such as Safaricom and Airtel. For example, the satellite company recently launched a 50 GB monthly data plan for Ksh.1,300, compared to Airtel’s similar package priced at Ksh.3,000. Safaricom’s 45GB monthly plan is priced at Ksh.2,500.
