Starlink has resumed accepting new subscriptions in Nairobi and surrounding areas, ending a seven-month suspension that began in November 2024 due to network congestion. The satellite internet provider had halted sign-ups in Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado, and Murang’a to expand capacity and address bandwidth limitations caused by surging demand.
According to a statement from Starlink, the pause was implemented because the network had reached capacity in these regions, limiting its ability to accommodate new residential and roaming users. “Too many users were trying to access the service within Nairobi, and there wasn’t enough bandwidth to support additional customers,” the company said at the time.
The resumption of sign-ups could further boost Starlink’s market position in Kenya. Between June and September 2024, the company’s subscriber base in Kenya grew by over 101 percent, rising from 8,063 to 16,786 customers. This growth increased its share of the country’s fixed internet market from 0.5 percent to 1.1 percent, according to data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). Starlink also rose from being the tenth-largest ISP in June to eighth by September.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s fixed internet market grew overall by nearly 5 percent in the same period, from 1.50 million to 1.57 million subscriptions. A key contributor to this growth was a 105 percent increase in satellite subscriptions, spurred by Starlink’s aggressive marketing and introduction of affordable satellite equipment rental options.
Despite Starlink’s rise, Safaricom PLC remains the leading ISP in Kenya with a 36.6 percent market share, followed by Jamii Telecommunications (24.4 percent), Wananchi Group (16.8 percent), and Poa Internet (12.6 percent).
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