Elon Musk-owned satellite internet Starlink has recorded significant growth in Kenya, doubling its market share in the three months leading up to September last year.
This is according to the latest sector statistics report published by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
The report notes that Starlink’s market share rose from 0.5% in June to 1.1%, in September.
This substantial growth not only reflects the increasing adoption of Starlink’s services in the country but also positioned the satellite internet provider ahead of Liquid, a key competitor that held steady with a 1% market share during the same period.
Starlink launched its operations in Kenya in July 2023 and has continued to disrupt the dominance of established providers like Safaricom, Wananchi Group, and Jamii Telecommunications. Its entry into Kenya has also seen the number of satellite internet subscriptions surge.
According to CA, satellite internet subscriptions recorded a significant increase of 104.7 per cent during the reference period attributed to a customer acquisition campaign run by Starlink Internet Services Kenya that introduced an option to rent satellite equipment at a reduced cost.
Its increased adoption saw the company temporarily suspend new subscriptions in Kenya’s capital Nairobi and surrounding regions. The provider said in a statement that the suspension was in response to an overload in network capacity driven by increased demand in these areas.
To enhance its network, Starlink activated its second African Point of Presence (PoP) in Nairobi just last week. Previously, the only Starlink PoP on the continent was located in Nigeria which limited the network’s capacity to serve the entire continent including markets like Kenya.
Jimmy Grewal, managing director at Elcome, a Starlink authorized reseller, said the newly activated Starlink PoP in Kenya has resulted in average latency for their global Starlink customer base reducing from 57ms to 44ms. This is almost half of what it was at the start of 2024.
‘’In Kenya itself, our customers have seen average latency drop from 120ms down to 26ms over the weekend’’ he said.
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