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After stiff competition from Starlink, Kenya’s Safaricom has ramped up internet speeds for both its home and business customers to help retain customers who have been migrating to Starlink in droves.   

As part of its latest offerings, the telecommunications giant has introduced a new ultra-fast 1000Mbps (Gigabit per second) Platinum plan for home users, priced at KES 20,000 ($154.44) per month.

This makes Safaricom the first provider in Kenya to offer Giga-speed internet, targeting heavy users such as gamers, content creators, and those utilizing virtual reality applications.

Starlink has introduced a 50 gigabyte (GB) monthly data package at a rate of Ksh1,300 ($10.16) which is less than half the asking price for Airtel which charges Ksh3,000 ($23.44) for a similar package. Market leader Safaricom, on the other hand, offers a monthly package of 45GB at Ksh2,500 ($19.53).

Through discounts on its hardware and the introduction of the cheaper $10.16 monthly plan, Starlink users grew tenfold in Q1 2024. On August 21, Starlink introduced a $15 monthly kit rental plan for users who cannot afford $350 to purchase the hardware.

In addition to speed upgrades, existing home fiber customers will automatically be upgraded to enhanced packages to enjoy the faster connections. Safaricom also launched the Family Share plan, an all-in-one solution that integrates mobile voice, data, SMS, and home internet into a single package.

 The plan, designed for households, allows up to five members to share the services, with customers enjoying a 20% discount on the bronze plan compared to purchasing Fiber and voice/data separately—a welcome benefit amid the current economic climate.

Speaking on the new offerings, Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom PLC, said, “We have enhanced our Home Internet speeds to cater to the increased demand and usage by offering reliable connectivity and enhanced value for our customers. 

The introduction of the new speeds offers the capability of handling the most demanding online activities with ease, including high-definition streaming, gaming, large file transfers, cloud computing, and virtual reality. 

We have also introduced Family Share, which offers a converged internet and mobile solution for home that can be shared with up to five loved ones. We are keen to deliver a great experience and value by innovating to meet and exceed customer needs.”

To further improve user experience, Safaricom plans to roll out estate clinics, expand capacity in congested areas, and offer competitive 4G and 5G packages for homes located outside of its fiber coverage areas.

For enterprise customers, Safaricom has revamped its Business Fiber plans, offering speeds of up to 1 Gbps for medium and large enterprises.

These plans come with 24/7 proactive monitoring, network visibility, backup options (via fiber, 5G, or wireless), static IP support, embedded security, and an uptime guarantee of 99.99%. F

or micro and small businesses, Safaricom has introduced tailored packages with increased speeds and mobile backup data to ensure continuous service during outages or maintenance.

“The needs of our enterprise customers are changing each day with the growing need to use technology. The enhanced fiber for business plans will allow our enterprise customers to have a worry-free experience with the provision of backup data,” said Mr. Ndegwa.

The new business fiber plans start with a 15Mbps shared option for micro-businesses, supporting up to five devices, and include 5GB of mobile backup data and 400 minutes of voice service.

Small enterprises can opt for the 50Mbps shared plan, which supports up to 15 devices and includes 15GB of mobile backup data and a Closed User Group (CUG) voice plan.

Growing enterprises with multiple outlets can choose the 100Mbps shared plan, supporting up to 50 users or devices, with similar backup and communication features.

As part of an ongoing promotion, new customers signing up for the shared business plans will receive a one-time 30GB mobile data bundle and a free email and website domain for the first year.

These initiatives are just the beginning of a broader strategy Safaricom aims to roll out over the next 13 months to deepen customer and partner engagement, as the company prepares to celebrate 25 years in the market.

Safaricom also reported expanding its fiber network by over 3,000 kilometers in the last fiscal year, bringing its total coverage to more than 17,000 kilometers across Kenya.

As a result, over 110,000 new customers, both homes and businesses, were connected to its fast and reliable internet services, with the company now serving more than 370,000 homes and 32,000 businesses.