Safaricom minimize fibre charges 25% as Starlink loses market share

Safaricom has decreased the price of new enterprise fibre connections by 25% for the following two months, concentrating on companies in fibre-ready buildings and timed as satellite tv for pc rival Starlink grapples with a shrinking buyer base in Kenya. The slash, introduced at a Nairobi enterprise discussion board on Monday, underscores the telco’s technique to defend its dominance in mounted broadband whereas increasing its footprint amongst small and medium-sized enterprises.

The value discount brings the entry-level 15 Mbps plan to about KES 2,249 ($17.44) month-to-month, down from KES 2,999, whereas the top-tier 100 Mbps bundle now prices KES 4,724 ($36.62), from KES 6,299. 

Safaricom, which serves 678,118 fixed-internet prospects and holds a 36.5% market share, is pairing the supply with new enterprise credit score merchandise in a bid to lock in SME purchasers, a section additionally focused by Liquid Clever Applied sciences and Jamii Telecom. 

The low cost comes as Starlink’s Kenyan consumer base fell to about 17,000 in March 2025 from roughly 19,000, following experiences of community congestion although Starlink has since added floor stations close to Nairobi to increase capability. Safaricom’s pricing change comes as satellite tv for pc web struggles, making it as a lot about holding current prospects as attracting new ones.

Safaricom’s relationship with Starlink is difficult: in Could, the telco hinted at a potential satellite tv for pc web partnership simply days after Airtel Africa introduced comparable plans. No settlement has been confirmed, and the Nairobi-based firm has beforehand urged regulators to revisit satellite tv for pc web guidelines, a transfer some interpreted as a bid to gradual Starlink’s progress.

In June 2024, the corporate wrote to the Communications Authority calling for a brand new strategy to regulating satellite tv for pc suppliers, a transfer some noticed as an try and push for Starlink’s suspension.

In rural and peri-urban areas, the place satellite tv for pc has a stronger case, Safaricom has been promoting 5G house routers at KES 3,000 ($23.26) and month-to-month plans from the identical value level. Starlink’s Gen 3 package prices as much as KES 50,000 ($387.60), with limitless knowledge at KES 6,500 ($50.39) a month, or a less expensive KES 1,300 ($10.08) possibility capped at 50 GB. Value sensitivity in these areas makes Safaricom’s 5G supply a extra accessible different for a lot of households and small companies.

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