- Kenya is rapidly adopting Elon Musk’s satellite internet constellation, Starlink
- Satellite data subscriptions increased by 1,955.3% following the launch of Starlink Internet Services Kenya
- Significant growth in internet traffic, data subscriptions, and mobile (SIM) usage in the fourth quarter of 2023–2024
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A new report reveals that Kenya is rapidly adopting Elon Musk’s satellite internet constellation; Starlink. This trend is also prevalent in the country’s overall internet penetration. With the spike in mobile phone usage, availability of 4G and 5G services and the adoption of mobile money services, the current number of sim subscriptions stands at 68.9 million.
A report by the Communications Authority (CA) in Kenya highlighted significant growth in the amount of Kenyans that now use the internet service provider; Starlink.
Following Starlink's launch in Kenya last year in July, satellite data subscriptions increased by 1,955.3, a trend that is anticipated to continue in the foreseeable future.
“Satellite subscriptions recorded a significant growth of 73.1 percent in quarter four and 1,955.3 percent growth in the 2023/24 financial year," the report reads.
This growth is a result of the service’s high-speed, low-latency broadband access, particularly in places where the internet is unstable or absent.
Sim data subscription
The report released on Monday also showed that internet traffic, data/Internet subscriptions, and mobile (SIM) usage all saw notable increases in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2023–2024.
Consumer demand for rapid connectivity, growing smartphone penetration, and the expansion of 4G and 5G telecommunications infrastructure were the primary drivers of this growth.
Furthermore, an essential component of financial inclusion continues to be mobile money services.
The report notes that uptake increased as a result of the elimination of transaction codes for Airtel Money and M-Pesa transactions, which made money transfers between the two mobile wallets more convenient.
Revenue from mobile services increased by 13.2% from 2022 to KES 384.3 billion in 2023. Following the similar pattern, KES 70.9 billion was invested in the mobile subsector in 2023, a 20.6 percent increase.
There were 39.8 million mobile money subscribers as of June 30, 2024, which translates to a 77.3 percent penetration rate. The rise in mobile (SIM) subscriptions is closely correlated with this growth.
“The mobile (SIM) stood at 68.9 million subscriptions, translating to a penetration rate of 133.7 percent by the end of June 2024. The Minutes of Use per Month per Subscription dropped to 120.4 minutes from 123.4 minutes recorded in the preceding quarter,” the report reads.
“Similarly, short messages sent per month per subscription declined to 65.4 from 65.8 messages. Again, this decline is attributed to the normalization of usage patterns following the conclusion of the busy festive seasons in quarter two and three,” it adds.
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