The competition between telecommunications giant Safaricom and American satellite internet provider Starlink continues to intensify.
Starlink on September 26 announced that Kenyan consumers can now purchase its Mini SpaceX’s compact satellite internet solution.
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, had earlier in June promised that the Starlink Mini would be available in Kenya later in the year but did not specify the date and pricing.
This promise has since been fulfilled, with the American company announcing that Starlink Mini is now live across Kenya.
“Starlink Mini is now available in Kenya! Stay connected with high-speed internet at home or on the go,” read an update.
The Starlink Mini Kit, priced at Ksh27,000, includes everything needed for a quick and easy setup, with monthly service plans starting at Ksh4,000 making it a competitive option in Kenya’s internet market.
Starlink Mini packages
- Ksh4,000 per month: A plan with deprioritized speeds during peak hours, suitable for general browsing and light usage.
- Ksh6,500 per month: A premium plan providing priority speeds during peak hours for users requiring consistent, high-speed access.
- Ksh1,300 per month: A 50GB data plan, ideal for users with moderate internet usage needs.
The introduction of Starlink mini in the Kenyan market comes barely two days after President William Ruto broke silence on his stance over the stiff competition against Safaricom in the Kenyan market.
Ruto breaks silence on rivalry
Speaking in New York during the Kenya Business and Investment Roundtable, President Ruto remarked that Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa was not happy about the entry of Starlink into the market.
However, the Head of State said that he allowed Elon Musk’s product to encourage competition between the different players.
Also Read: Details of Letter Safaricom Wrote to CA After Entry of Starlink in Kenya
He also directly addressed Peter Ndegwa, who was present in the meeting, encouraging him that he would still thrive and would now have to become more competitive.
“I have my CEO for Safaricom here, sometimes he is not happy with me for bringing in some other characters like Elon Musk and the like,
“But you see I keep encouraging Peter that competition helps you keep ahead. And he has really been trying because he has upped his game, so we want to keep that space competitive,” said Ruto.
Musk then responded to Ruto’s remarks, reiterating the president’s position that the satellite internet service provider has created competition, causing the existing players to provide better services.
“As the President of Kenya says, Starlink causes local competitors to provide better services,” Musk said.
Starlink competition in Kenya
The introduction of Starlink to Kenya has created stiff competition among internet providers in the market.
Earlier in the year, the American satellite internet provider launched a rental option, allowing Kenyans to acquire the standard internet hardware kit in installments.
Also Read: Elon Musk’s Starlink Reduces Internet Prices in Kenya
The company said that customers can now access its internet service by paying a one-time activation fee of Ksh2,700 and a monthly hardware rental fee of Ksh1,950.
This new model aimed to make Starlink’s services more accessible to Kenyans who previously faced high upfront costs to acquire the hardware, ranging from Ksh29,000 to Ksh74,000.
“Starlink now offers Starlink kit rentals throughout Kenya. Rent Starlink for Ksh1,950/month or purchase for Ksh45,500,” Starlink announced in a statement.
Government offices and officials in the country have also reported switching internet services to Starlink from Safaricom, which is the dominant telco and internet provider.
Earlier, Elon Musk confirmed that Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s office has started using the internet provider as well.
Before launching the rental option for the internet hardware, Starlink had announced a new deal that reduced the price of the standard hardware kit which stood at Ksh45,500, by 34.06 percent.
Also, the internet firm had in June unveiled a new cheaper data plan for the Kenyan market, increasing competition for Safaricom and Airtel that currently have a big grip.
Starlink unveiled a 50 gigabyte (GB) monthly data package at a rate of Ksh1,300, less than half the asking price for Airtel (Ksh3,000) and market leader Safaricom (Ksh2,500), for similar package.
However, subscribers of the Starlink service had to still part with Ksh45,500 for an installation hardware that would unlock access to the offering.
This is in stark contrast to the model adopted by local telcos where users only need to activate a registered SIM card.
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