Starlink has temporarily halted new subscriptions in Nairobi and the surrounding regions of Kiambu, Machakos, Narok, Murang’a, and Nakuru due to overwhelming demand that has exceeded their network capacity.
The American satellite internet service provider explained, “Nairobi and its neighboring areas are currently at full network capacity, which means there are too many users trying to access Starlink at the same time, and there isn’t sufficient bandwidth to accommodate any new residential or roaming customers at this moment.”
They added, “Starlink is actively working to restore service in these affected areas and will send out notifications once the residential plan becomes available again.”
Starlink made its debut in Kenya in July 2023, quickly establishing itself as a major player in the local internet market by offering competitively priced service packages with enhanced speeds. In a short span, it has positioned itself as the country’s tenth-largest Internet Service Provider (ISP), boasting over 8,000 subscribers according to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
Earlier this year, the company made headlines by slashing the price of its hardware from Ksh. 74,000 to as low as Ksh. 39,500. In August, Starlink further sweetened the deal by offering its equipment for just Ksh. 29,000. That same month, they introduced a rental option for the hardware, requiring a one-time activation fee of Ksh. 2,700, followed by a monthly rental fee of Ksh. 1,950. Their service plans start at Ksh. 1,300 per month for a package that includes 50 GB of data, all while maintaining internet speeds of up to 200 Mbps.
In a move to appeal to even more customers, Starlink recently launched its more affordable Mini version, priced at Ksh. 27,000, making it accessible to those who may have previously been deterred by high equipment costs. Meanwhile, Safaricom, a dominant telecommunications provider in Kenya, had previously reached out to the government to reconsider its decision to issue licenses to satellite internet companies. Although the CA did not publicly address Safaricom’s concerns, President William Ruto praised Starlink’s entry into the market in September, noting that it has fostered competition and encouraged existing providers to enhance their service offerings.
