Satellite internet service Starlink is officially available in Kenya, making Kenya the sixth African country the internet service is currently operating. The Elon Musk-owned service aims to reach across Africa.
Starlink started operating in Nigeria followed by Mozambique, Rwanda, Mauritius, and Sierra Leone. It is currently accessible in 54 countries worldwide and offers its services to approximately 1.5 million active customers.
The news of Starlink in Kenya comes after the leading telecom operator Safaricom announced its plans to introduce satellite internet services to the country. According to Technext, “Safaricom has partnered with AST SpaceMobile, a competitor of Starlink, to carry out this project and this has further intensified the market competition.”
Starlink promise to provide high-speed internet, reaching speeds of up to 200Mbps, with significant potential for enhancing education, business, and overall socio-economic development within the country.
It also plans to expand its services to 17 additional African countries in 2023, including Zambia and Angola. In 2024, it aims to launch in 16 more countries, including Uganda, Tunisia, Ghana, and Egypt. There are 18 additional countries where the launch dates are yet to be confirmed.
