By Edna-UCLIQ
Billionaire Elon Musk, the founder of Starlink, boasted of the difference his satellite internet service has made in Kenya.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Musk said Starlink has ensured some healthy competition in the Kenyan internet market.
“Starlink causes the local competitors to provide better services,” Musk said, in echoes of similar remarks by Kenyan President William Ruto.
On the sidelines of the UNGA, President Ruto acknowledged the impact brought about by Starlink’s entry during the US-Kenya Business and Investment Roundtable.
Ruto observed that Starlink had forced competition, compelling providers like Safaricom to try harder.
Present with me here is my CEO for Safaricom; sometimes, he is not very happy with me when I bring other players like Elon Musk into space. But you see, competition keeps you ahead, and I must say, Safaricom has upped its game.
Among those who attended the event was the chief executive of Safaricom, Peter Ndegwa, whose company the increasing competition is pushing to raise its game.
Launched in Kenya in July 2023, Starlink is an internet constellation that shook up the local market with its relatively affordable and high-speed internet.
This is offering a 50-gigabyte data package at Sh1,300 with speeds of as high as 220 Mbps. Its entry into the market has ripple implications for the traditional providers.
Satellite internet subscriptions increased tenfold by March 2024.
The reason Musk’s company has fared so well is due to its relatively affordable rates compared to service providers like Safaricom, Telkom, and Zuku, coupled with increased speeds, while the latter’s fibre-optic networks are limited in these rural areas.
By the end of Tuesday evening, Musk had not met with Ruto but had met and engaged various African and global leaders. Among other things, he talked of expanding Starlink in countries including South Africa, Argentina, Namibia, and Lesotho.
Those who have met him so far include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and the President of Argentina Javier Milei.
