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Starlink becomes Kenya’s 7th largest ISP, eyes direct-to-mobile satellites

March 18, 2025

Starlink becomes Kenya’s 7th largest ISP, eyes direct-to-mobile satellites

Elon Musk’s Starlink becomes Kenya’s 7th largest internet service provider (ISP), overtaking established local rivals like Dimension Data and Liquid Telecommunications Kenya just six months after breaking into the country’s top ten.

The satellite broadband provider now has 19,146 users—up from 16,786 three months earlier—capturing 1.1% of Kenya’s internet market, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) data.

While still trailing far behind market leaders Safaricom and Jamii Telecommunications, Starlink’s rapid growth signals a shift in Kenya’s competitive broadband market as satellite services gain traction in areas where traditional fibre and fixed wireless networks struggle to reach.

Starlink’s rapid growth has also boosted satellite internet adoption in Kenya. Other satellite providers—including Viasat, Indigo Telecom, and NTvsat—serve a combined total of just 257 customers.

Fear of competitors

Starlink’s rise has intensified regulatory scrutiny. Local ISPs, including Safaricom and Airtel Kenya, argue that Starlink’s expansion threatens to distort competition. In response, the CA plans to increase satellite licence fees from $12,302 to $115,331 and impose a 0.4% levy on annual turnover—measures that could slow the company’s momentum.

Despite the pushback, Starlink is deepening its foothold with local infrastructure and aggressive pricing. In December 2024, the company launched a Nairobi ground station, cutting latency from 120 to 26 milliseconds.

The company also slashed installation kit prices during a 30-day promotion, launched a $10 50GB data plan, and introduced hardware rentals. By 2025, it aims to deploy satellites that connect directly to mobile devices, bypassing hardware kits and intensifying competition with traditional telcos.

Yet, Starlink is far from being a market leader. It holds a tiny 1.1% market share, trailing well behind Safaricom’s 36.1% and Jamii Telecommunications’ 23.6%. To seriously challenge Kenya’s internet giants, Starlink will do more.

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