Safaricom cuts business fibre prices by 25% as Starlink loses Kenyan users

Safaricom has reduced the cost of new business fibre connections by 25% for the next two months, targeting firms in fibre-ready buildings and timed as satellite rival Starlink grapples with a shrinking customer base in Kenya. The slash, announced at a Nairobi business forum on Monday, underscores the telco’s strategy to defend its dominance in fixed broadband while expanding its footprint among small and medium-sized enterprises.

The price reduction brings the entry-level 15 Mbps plan to about KES 2,249 ($17.44) monthly, down from KES 2,999, while the top-tier 100 Mbps package now costs KES 4,724 ($36.62), from KES 6,299. 

Safaricom, which serves 678,118 fixed-internet customers and holds a 36.5% market share, is pairing the offer with new business credit products in a bid to lock in SME clients, a segment also targeted by Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Jamii Telecom. 

The discount comes as Starlink’s Kenyan user base fell to about 17,000 in March 2025 from roughly 19,000, following reports of network congestion though Starlink has since added ground stations near Nairobi to expand capacity. Safaricom’s pricing change comes as satellite internet struggles, making it as much about keeping existing customers as attracting new ones.

Safaricom’s relationship with Starlink is complicated: in May, the telco hinted at a possible satellite internet partnership just days after Airtel Africa announced similar plans. No agreement has been confirmed, and the Nairobi-based company has previously urged regulators to revisit satellite internet rules, a move some interpreted as a bid to slow Starlink’s growth.

In June 2024, the company wrote to the Communications Authority calling for a new approach to regulating satellite providers, a move some saw as an attempt to push for Starlink’s suspension.

In rural and peri-urban areas, where satellite has a stronger case, Safaricom has been selling 5G home routers at KES 3,000 ($23.26) and monthly plans from the same price point. Starlink’s Gen 3 kit costs up to KES 50,000 ($387.60), with unlimited data at KES 6,500 ($50.39) a month, or a cheaper KES 1,300 ($10.08) option capped at 50 GB. Price sensitivity in these regions makes Safaricom’s 5G offer a more accessible alternative for many households and small firms.

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