President William Ruto has defended his decision to allow Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, to enter the Kenyan market, asserting that it fosters competition.
Speaking at the Kenya Business and Investment Roundtable in New York, he remarked, “I have my CEO for Safaricom here; sometimes he is not happy with me for bringing in some other characters like Elon Musk and others in the space. But you see, I keep encouraging Peter that competition helps you keep ahead, and he has been doing good; I must say he has upped his game, so we want to keep that space competitive.”
Starlink launched its services in Kenya in July 2023, offering high-speed internet and coverage to remote areas where local providers may not reach. Utilizing a network of satellites in low Earth orbit, Starlink delivers fast internet with low latency, making it especially beneficial for rural and underserved regions.
As competition heats up, Safaricom, Kenya’s leading telecommunications provider, has responded by increasing its internet speeds for home and business customers. Safaricom recently introduced an ultra-fast 1000 Mbps (gigabit per second) Platinum plan, costing Sh20,000 monthly, to cater to the demands of heavy internet users like gamers and content creators. This follows Starlink’s offering of internet speeds of up to 200 Mbps for small businesses.
Safaricom aims to enhance its fibre and mobile data services, including 4G and 5G, while Starlink continues to expand its satellite internet offerings. In a statement, Safaricom announced that current customers would automatically be upgraded to the enhanced packages for faster speeds and introduced the Family Share plan, which integrates mobile voice, data, SMS, and home internet into a single solution.
