Elon Musk-owned satellite internet Starlink has temporarily suspended new subscriptions in Kenya’s capital Nairobi and surrounding regions.
According to a statement from the provider, the suspension is in response to an overload in network capacity driven by increased demand in these areas.
“Nairobi and neighbouring areas are currently at network capacity. This means that too many users are trying to access the Starlink service within Nairobi, and there isn’t enough bandwidth to support additional residential or roaming customers now,” Starlink said.
Starlink has indicated that it will work on expanding its capacity in the affected regions before resuming new sign-ups.
“Starlink is working to restore service in the disrupted areas and a notification will be sent once the residential plan is back.”
The affected areas include Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Narok, Murang’a and Nakuru regions where Starlink has seen significant uptake since its launch in Kenya in July 2023.
Since entering the Kenyan market, Starlink has grown to become Kenyan’s 10th largest ISP. The latest data from the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) shows that the service has over 8,000 subscribers nationwide.
The high-speed, low-latency connectivity offered by Starlink’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation has made it popular, particularly for users in remote areas of Kenya where traditional internet options are limited or slow.
To increase accessibility, the company earlier this year announced reduced the hardware costs in Kenya from $ 574 (Ksh.74,000) when it first launched to $ 306 (Ksh.39,500). The company also introduced a kit rental option in August that allows customers to pay a one-time activation fee of $21 (Ksh.2,700).
Starlink is owned by billionaire Elon Musk and is operated by American aerospace company SpaceX. It offers satellite internet service that uses a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Unlike traditional satellite internet, Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency connectivity, supporting services not possible with traditional satellite technology.
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