From Fibre to 5G: Safaricom’s Big Push to Connect More Homes in Kenya

The demand for stable, high-speed home internet in Kenya continues to increase, driven by remote work, education, and digital entertainment. In response, Kenya’s leading telco Safaricom is executing a clear, two-pronged strategy: an aggressive expansion of its flagship Home Fibre network alongside a practical push for 4G and 5G-based home internet solutions for areas still outside the fibre footprint.

Safaricom’s primary ambition remains its fibre-to-the-home service. As of 2025, the network has expanded significantly beyond its initial urban strongholds and now covers more than 20 counties.

This ongoing rollout prioritizes connecting new estates and high-density residential areas in major urban and peri-urban centers.

Key cities seeing continued expansion include Nairobi and its metropolitan area, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuruand  Nyeri.

The goal, according to Safaricom to bring high-speed, low-latency cabled internet to as many households as possible, solidifying fibre as the gold standard for home connectivity.

Bridging the Gap: 4G and 5G for Home

For the millions of households still waiting for fibre lines to reach their neighborhood, Safaricom is actively promoting a powerful alternative: its 4G and 5G Home Wi-Fi routers.

These devices are not to be confused with mobile hotspots. They are dedicated home routers that capture the strong 4G or 5G mobile network signal and convert it into a stable Wi-Fi network for the home, capable of supporting multiple devices.

This fixed-wireless solution is crucial for bridging the connectivity gap, offering a viable, high-speed option for customers in areas where laying fibre is not yet commercially or logistically feasible.

A key part of this alternative strategy is making the 4G/5G routers easy to acquire. In a significant move in May 2025, Safaricom announced a strategic partnership with Quickmart supermarkets.

This partnership allows customers to purchase the 4G and 5G Home routers directly from any Quickmart outlet across the country. This retail-focused approach removes the barrier of having to visit a dedicated Safaricom shop, placing the solution in high-traffic consumer locations and making it as easy to buy as any other home appliance.

By expanding its fibre network and simultaneously making 4G/5G home internet more accessible, Safaricom is ensuring it has a connectivity solution for nearly every Kenyan household, regardless of whether the fibre cable has reached their door.

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