The majority of President William Ruto’s government has supported his decision to allow Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, to enter the Kenyan market.
The introduction of Starlink into the market, according to the president, has resulted in more healthy competition across the nation.
“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,” the president reportedly said.
“But you see, I keep telling Peter that competition helps you stay ahead, and he has been doing well; I must say he has upped his game, so we want to keep that space competitive.”
The president delivered a speech at the Kenya Business and Investment Roundtable in New York.
Starlink made its first appearance in the Kenyan market in July 2023. It is possible to deliver high speeds and coverage in places that may be inaccessible to local internet service providers due to their limited capabilities.
SpaceX powers Starlink, which uses a network of satellites in low Earth orbit to deliver high-speed internet with minimal latency. This makes it a fantastic solution for areas that are still underserved and rural.
For a very long time, Safaricom has been the most powerful telecommunications operator in Kenya.
Both Safaricom and Starlink will fight in Kenya’s highly competitive internet market as they extend their respective service offerings to satisfy the ever-increasing demand for high-speed connections.
Safaricom has raised its data transfer rates for the second time in response to increasing competition with lower costs.
In its most recent step, Safaricom has raised the internet speeds available to its residential and commercial users in order to cater to the ever-increasing requirements of both individual and company customers.
New Safaricom internet packages and speeds
In addition, Safaricom has announced a new ultra-fast Platinum plan for Home Fibre that offers 1000 Mbps (gigabit per second) of download speed. This plan will now require companies to pay Sh20,000 USD each month.
The company has also changed packages for internet subscribers.
Safaricom has increased internet speeds for both home and business customers.
- Bronze: 15Mbps for 2,999 (up from 10Mbps).
- Silver: 30Mbps for 4,100 (up from 20Mbps).
- Gold: 80Mbps for 6,299 (up from 40Mbps).
- Diamond: 500Mbps for 12,499 (up from 100Mbps)
This is in reaction to the fact that Starlink has made available to small companies internet speeds of up to 200 Mbps in the market.
Because of this, the telecommunications company claims that it is the first to provide gigabit speeds for residential internet.
The company aims to meet the needs of heavy users seeking exceptionally fast connections. These customers include, amongst others, gamers, content makers, and virtual reality apps.
In the meanwhile, Safaricom is working to improve its fibre and mobile data services, including 4G and 5G, while Elon Musk’s SpaceX-owned Starlink is delivering satellite internet services to the area.
In a statement, Safaricom stated that it would automatically upgrade existing customers to the improved packages to enjoy the higher speeds.
In addition, Safaricom has introduced the Family Share plan, which is an integrated solution that integrates mobile phone, data, SMS, and home internet into a single package. This plan is designed to make the experience of spending time with families and friends more enjoyable.
