Starlink, via its Twitter account, just announced that it has launched in Kenya. 🇰🇪
Kenya represents the 61st country Starlink is officially licensed to operate in. In recent weeks, the company has been on an absolute expansion tear.
Just in the last week, Starlink announced launches in both Guatemala and Cyprus. And in 2023 alone, Starlink was launched in 14 new markets.
A significant portion of those launches can be attributed to the African continent. Prior to Kenya, Starlink was unveiled in Nigeria, Rwanda, and Mozambique.
However, Starlink points out in its order page that users should tame their expectations as the company continues to expand its ground station network as well as deploy more satellites using inter-satellite links (ISLs).
In Kenya, Starlink will charge KE6,500 (~ US$48) per month for the Residential tier as well as KE7,900 (~ US$55.6) for Regional Roaming.
On top of that, hardware and shipping will cost a total of KE92,100 (~ US$649), which is substantially higher than in other regions.
Hardware, in all likeliness, will have to be shipped from other continents, thus incurring higher per-unit costs.
Make sure to check our global price list for an updated version of all the countries Starlink is available in as well as how much it charges in each of those locations
Meanwhile, resellers including Karibu Connect have also jumped at the opportunity to become authorized Starlink partners – and with good reason.
Kenya boasts a population of over 53 million people while being one of the more popular tourist destinations in the region.
Meanwhile, internet speeds are still lagging behind, particularly in less populated areas. Starlink could represent a huge opportunity for locals to participate in the digital and global economy.
With that said, competition is rapidly catching up. Safaricom, Kenya’s top internet provider, has invested several billion shillings over the last half-decade to develop its fixed-data infrastructure, catering to an increasing demand for online streaming services such as Netflix.
Additionally, Safaricom has also entered into a partnership agreement with Starlink rival AST SpaceMobile vis-à-vis its parent company Vodacom. The two would thus in the satellite internet space, too.
Going forward, Starlink is expected to launch in Sierra Leone, which has granted the company an operating license just a few weeks ago.