The remarkable rise is driven by the launch of Starlink Internet Services in the country last year.
Satellite data subscription in Kenya grew by a whopping 1,955.3% following the licensing and launch of Starlink Internet Services Kenya in July 2023, states a new report by the Communications Authority (CA).
According to the fourth quarter industry statistics by the CA, satellite data subscribers stood at 8,324 by June compared to 4,808 in March this year. In June 2023, the number of satellite subscribers was only 405. By June 2024, 96.9% of satellite customers subscribed to speeds between 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps, with satellite services accounting for 52.98% of all high-speed internet subscriptions (100 Mbps to <1 Gbps).
However, Safaricom still held the largest market share at 36.4%. In contrast, Starlink, held only a 0.5% share by June 30, 2024. Further, utilised Satellite Internet Capacity increased remarkably from 48.438 to 840.448 Gbps (1,635.1% increase) following the launch of Starlink Internet services in the country.