Business magnate Elon Musk’s Starlink wireless internet services is set to launch in Kenya as the company continues its monthly expansion across the globe. The launch will see Kenya join countries like Finland and Papua New Guinea which are already accessing the global –wireless internet system.
Reports indicate that Starlink will be charging Kenyans Ksh 13,431 per month with an additional Ksh 73, 318 for hardware but the prices will change with time.
Starlink’s entry into the Kenyan market will signal new and well-heeled competition for internet service providers (ISPs) such as Safaricom, Wananchi Group-owned Zuku and Jamii Telecommunications’ Faiba which are enjoying the lion’s share.
Musk’s company plans to roll out mobile phone coverage after 2023 but is not currently available in any country in Africa. It has received regulatory approval in countries including Nigeria and Mozambique after it crossed the one-million subscriber mark in December last year.
When the company launched in 2015, the business mogul cited unmet global demand for low-cost broadband internet access as it promised to target underserved parts of the world and high-density cities with its quality internet services. To compete in Kenya, Starlink will have to maintain comparatively affordable rates, and high-speed internet.
By December 2022, it had put 3,300 small satellites in space and to expand its reach but SpaceX plans to deploy up to a total of 12,000 satellites in coming years, with plans to eventually increase the figure to 42,000.
Starlink has also rolled out a range of other products including Starlink Business, Starlink for RVs, and Starlink Maritime.
It is enturing the Kenyan market when Zuku is battling a PR nightmare following discontent among its customers in the country which continues to dominate discourse on social media. Many high-profile figures including singer Avril and entertainment executive David Muriithi have declared that they will be shifting to other reliable wi-fi service providers due to Zuku’s poor speed and connectivity hitches.
