Elon Musk’s satellite Internet firm, Starlink, has ceded further ground in Kenya’s fixed broadband market, dropping to ninth place in the quarter ended June this year, after losing more share amid a freeze on new connections.
Latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows Starlink’s market share fell to 0.8 percent in June this year from 0.9 percent three months earlier, pushing it down one slot from eighth to ninth among the country’s top internet service providers.
During the quarter under review, Ahadi Wireless, backed by e-commerce firm Ahadi Corporation, made its debut in the top 10 list of fixed internet service providers with a 7.5 percent market share.
Starlink's decline extends losses suffered earlier this year, when the company shed more than 2,000 subscribers in the quarter to March as it halted signups in Nairobi and neighbouring counties due to capacity constraints.
Starlink suspended new subscriptions in Nairobi and neighbouring counties in November last year, citing a lack of available capacity, slowing the growth of satellite Internet uptake that had been rising steadily since its entry into the Kenyan market.
The tech multinational had entered the local market in June 2023 and quickly built a presence, but growth has slowed sharply since the freeze, leaving rivals to tighten their grip.
Overall, fixed broadband subscriptions rose to 1.95 million by June 2025, underscoring continued demand for internet services even as Starlink stalls. The total was up from 1.85 million in March, marking an addition of 100,000 new connections in just three months.
The market remains dominated by Safaricom, which boasts a 34.3 percent share, followed by Jamii Telecommunications Limited (JTL) and Wananchi-owned Zuku, which hold 20.6 percent and 12.7 percent shares respectively.
Starlink has, however, resumed onboarding new subscribers in Kenya, ending the eight-month freeze.
Other players, including Poa Internet, Ahadi Wireless Limited, Vilcom Network Limited, and Mawingu Networks, have also grown their bases steadily, targeting both urban and peri-urban households with fibre and wireless packages.
Starlink’s entry into Kenya in 2023 was closely watched as a potential industry game-changer, promising to connect remote areas through satellite technology.
In its first months, the firm registered rapid uptake, with thousands of customers signing on, particularly in underserved counties.
Capacity constraints have, however, curtailed the momentum, leaving fibre and fixed wireless operators to consolidate their gains.
The American firm’s equipment and subscription costs have also limited its mass-market appeal, with the upfront cost of more than Sh50,000 for a kit and a monthly fee of Sh6,500 positioning it as a premium service compared to cheaper fibre and wireless packages offered by competitors.
