•For Home fibre, Safaricom has also introduced a new ultra-fast 1000Mbps (Gigabit per second) Platinum plan, that will now see businesses part with Sh20,000 monthly.
•While Safaricom’s strength lies in its established network and customer loyalty, Starlink’s satellite technology could disrupt the market, particularly in regions where fibre expansion is costly or impractical.
Image: FILE
Safaricom has for the second time increased its data speeds in the wake of increasing competition.
This even as Safaricom and Elon Musks’ Starlink are set to face off in Kenya's competitive internet market, as both companies expand their services to cater to the growing demand for high-speed connectivity.
Safaricom, in its latest move increased internet speeds for its home and business customers to meet the growing needs of individual and enterprise customers.
For Home fibre, Safaricom has also introduced a new ultra-fast 1000Mbps (Gigabit per second) Platinum plan, that will now see businesses part with Sh20,000 monthly.
This is in response to internet speeds of up to 200MBPs that Starlink has offered in the market for small businesses.
The telco says that this has made it the first to deliver Giga speeds for home internet in a bid to meet the needs of very heavy users seeking ultra-fast speeds, for example gamers, content creators, virtual reality applications, among others.
Safaricom, that has over the years been Kenya’s leading telecommunications provider, is enhancing its fibre and mobile data services, including 4G and 5G, while Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is introducing satellite internet services to the region.
“Current customers will automatically be upgraded to the enhanced packages to enjoy the faster speeds,” Safaricom said in a statement.
“Additionally, to enhance experience with your loved ones, Safaricom has launched the Family Share plan, an integrated solution that combines mobile voice, data, SMS, and home internet into a single plan.”
According to tech experts, the battle between Safaricom’s terrestrial network and Starlink’s satellite services is likely to intensify, with the ultimate winners being Kenyan consumers, who stand to benefit from improved internet access, faster speeds, and competitive pricing.
Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said that the enhanced home Internet speeds will cater to the increased demand and usage by offering reliable connectivity and enhanced value for our customers.
“The introduction of the new speeds offers capability of handling the most demanding online activities with ease, including high-definition streaming 4K/8K, gaming, large file transfers, cloud computing, and virtual reality,” said Ndegwa.
“We have also introduced family share which offers a converged internet and mobile solution for home that can be shared with up to five loved ones. We are keen to deliver a great experience and value by innovating to meet and exceed customer needs.”
While Safaricom’s strength lies in its established network and customer loyalty, Starlink’s satellite technology could disrupt the market, particularly in regions where fibre expansion is costly or impractical.
The competition is expected to drive both companies to innovate further, with Safaricom announcing plan to enhance its 5G-rollout and service offerings, while Starlink will push the boundaries of satellite-based connectivity.
For Enterprise customers, Safaricom has revamped its Business Fibre plans; introducing new speeds of up to 1 Gbps for Medium and Large Enterprises in addition to increased speeds for Micro and Small Enterprises.
“The needs of our Enterprise customers are changing each day with the growing need to use technology. The enhanced fibre for business plans will allow our enterprise customers have a worry-free experience with the provision of back up data,” Ndegwa said.
As uptake of home and business internet continues to grow, Safaricom increased its Fibre footprint by over 3,000 kilometres in the last financial year, putting its total coverage across the country at more than 17,000 kilometres.
This saw over 110,000 new customers, consisting of homes and businesses, connect to the service during FY24, resulting in over 370,000 homes and 32,000 businesses now being connected to fast and reliable internet through Safaricom.
While Safaricom’s strength lies in its established network and customer loyalty, Starlink’s satellite technology could disrupt the market, particularly in regions where fibre expansion is costly or impractical.
The competition is expected to drive both companies to innovate further, with Safaricom likely to enhance its 5G-rollout and service offerings, while Starlink will push the boundaries of satellite-based connectivity.
The battle between Safaricom’s terrestrial network and Starlink’s satellite services is likely to intensify, with the ultimate winners being Kenyan consumers, who stand to benefit from improved internet access, faster speeds, and competitive pricing.