How Safaricom is taking on Starlink in rural Kenya
Across Africa, telcos are clashing with Starlink over infrastructure, pricing, and market share.
For years, Safaricom focused its internet broadband strategy on Kenya’s cities. Now, the country’s largest telco is shifting gears—going door-to-door in rural counties, slashing router prices, and expanding its 5G footprint to take on satellite internet rival Starlink.
Over the past six months, Safaricom says it has deployed dozens of new 5G sites in fibre-dark zones where mobile broadband struggled and Starlink gained early traction. The telco is fighting to win those users back with affordable, plug-and-play routers now priced at KES 3,000 ($23), down from KES 25,000 ($192), bundled with flexible data plans and, in some cases, free t-shirts.
These routers connect to 5G where available and automatically switch to 4G in areas with weaker coverage—a flexible model inspired by how solar home kits are sold across East Africa. Safaricom's monthly plans will start at KES 4,000 ($31) for 50 Mbps and go up to KES 10,000 ($77) for 250 Mbps, offering a more affordable and adaptable setup than Starlink’s fixed-tier plans, which start at KES 1,300 ($10) but require a hardware kit priced from KES 27,000 (~$208).
This rural push comes at a critical moment. Starlink, which launched in Kenya in 2023, has grown into the country’s seventh-largest ISP, with over 19,000 users and mounting demand, especially in underserved counties.
Rather than waiting for tighter satellite ISP regulations in Kenya, like the proposed tenfold licensing fee hike Techloy reported in January, Safaricom seems to be opting to compete on price and reach. It’s also doubling fibre speeds and rolling out new gigabit plans in cities.
Across Africa, telcos are clashing with Starlink over infrastructure, pricing, and market share. But in Kenya’s countryside, Safaricom is taking the fight offline, one 5G router at a time. And for people living in these underserved areas, that means more options, and maybe, better Internet.
Louis Eriakha
