Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, has launched a new, more affordable data plan in Kenya, intensifying competition with Safaricom and Airtel, who currently dominate the market.
Starlink’s new offering provides 50 gigabytes (GB) of monthly data for Ksh1,300 ($10.16), significantly cheaper than Airtel’s Ksh3,000 ($23.44) for a similar amount. Safaricom, the market leader, offers 45GB for Ksh2,500 ($19.53). However, to access Starlink’s service, users must purchase installation hardware for Ksh45,500 ($355.47), unlike the local telcos where users simply activate a SIM card.
Starlink’s website promotes the plan as “affordable, high-speed internet with 50GB of data included for Ksh1,300/month” and offers the option to add extra data at Ksh20/GB. Payments can now be made through mobile money services M-Pesa and Airtel Money.
This move is expected to create significant competition for Safaricom and Airtel. According to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Safaricom leads the mobile broadband market with a 63.7 percent share, followed by Airtel with 31.5 percent.
Author: shadjavist
Humble gentleman who never believes in impossibility
