The More Affordable Starlink Mini Is Now Available In Kenya

American satellite internet firm Starlink on Thursday announced that its more affordable Mini variety is available in Kenya....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Starlink launched in Kenya in July 2023 and has increasingly offered competitively priced internet packages and better speed, but its hardware cost is what has kept off many potential buyers.

Now, the company has announced that the Starlink Mini kit will cost Ksh.27,000, with monthly packages beginning from Ksh.1,300.

Starlink Mini is more compact in size and portable compared to the Starlink Standard.

Mini covers up to 112 square meters and is recommended for basic internet applications in both fixed and portable use, while Standard covers up to 297 square metres, can endure extreme weather and environmental elements, and is ideal for streaming video calls, and gaming.

Starlink Mini can connect up to 128 devices, compared to Standard which supports up to 235 devices.

And while Starlink Standard comes with a Gen 3 WiFi Router, Starlink Mini comes with integrated WiFi.

Initially, the Starlink kit cost Ksh.74,000, but the price went down as they began being sold at retail chain stores like Carrefour and online marketplaces like Jumia.

Earlier this year, the company announced an offer to reduce the hardware costs to as low as Ksh.39,500. Last month, it gave another deal, selling the kit from Ksh.29,000.

Still last month, the satellite ISP introduced a kit rental option in Kenya which will see customers pay a one-time activation fee of Ksh.2,700.

One will then pay a monthly hardware rental fee of Ksh.1,950, while the service plans start at Ksh.1,300 a month for a 50 GB monthly data plan. Customers still get the same internet speeds of up to 200Mbps.

In what was seen as an open protest against Starlink’s entry to the local market, Safaricom recently wrote to the Kenyan government asking it to re-evaluate its decision to grant licences to satellite internet providers.

The company, which dominates the local fixed broadband internet market (36.7%), wants the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to review its decision to grant independent licences to satellite service providers, warning of threats of illegal connections and what it calls harmful interference to mobile network operators (MNOs).

Kenya’s Communication Authority did not publicly respond to Safaricom’s request. President William Ruto earlier this week said Starlink’s entry into Kenya has created competition, causing the existing players to provide better services.

Safaricom this week announced new internet speeds and a new 1GB-per-second Platinum package priced at Ksh.20,000.

•                          OLD SPEEDS      NEW SPEEDS   PRICE (KES)
• BRONZE         10 Mbps               15 Mbps              2,999
• SILVER           20 Mbps               30 Mbps             4,100
• GOLD              40 Mbps              80 Mbps             6,299
• DIAMOND     100 Mbps            500 Mbps           12,499
• PLATINUM   1000Mbps           20,000

Safaricom’s new internet speeds announced September 23, 2024…CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES>>>