Browsing: Starlink in Kenya

• In Kenya, mobile phone users are opting for internet calls and texting as a measure to cut on costs.
• Last year, customers spent more time on a single on-net call averaging 2.8 minutes.
• Safaricom customers spent more on off-net calls, averaging at 1.4 minutes while Airtel accounted for 33.3% of voice and 10.3% of SMS traffic in Kenya. 

An increasing number of mobile phone users in Kenya prefer using internet calls and texting as a measure to cut communication costs, a 2023 report by the Communications Authority shows. This shift is steadily eroding both voice and text revenues for mobile network providers in Kenya.

The report shows that the minutes of use per month per subscription decreased to 120.4 minutes in the three months to December 2023 compared to a higher 123.4 minutes during the previous quarter.

Similarly, short messages sent per month per subscription declined marginally to 65.4 from …

• Safaricom has requested telco industry watchdog, the Communications Authority (CA) to block satellite internet providers, such as Elon Musk’s Starlink, from operating independently within Kenya.
• Kenya’s largest telco argues that allowing satellite providers to operate independently could lead to challenges in enforcing compliance with local laws.
• Safaricom insists satellite ISPs should only be allowed to operate under the license rights of a local company.

A fierce battle is looming in Kenya’s internet service provider (ISP) industry, with Safaricom PLC, the region’s largest telecommunications operator, requesting the Communications Authority (CA) to block satellite internet providers, such as Elon Musk’s Starlink, from operating independently within the country.

This development sets the stage for what could turn out to be a fierce contest over the control of Kenya’s lucrative internet market, as telco heavyweights Safaricom and Starlink vie for dominance in a rapidly digitizing economy.

Listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and …