Kenyans subscribed to Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service are experiencing the second-slowest speeds in Africa following a surge in demand that has strained the capacity of the satellite operator.
Starlink download speeds in Kenya fell to an average of 47 megabits per second (Mbps) in the quarter ended March, down from highs of over 200 Mbps when the firm entered the country in July 2023, according to Ookla--one of the leading internet speed test sites.
Download speed affects how fast users can perform everyday tasks such as loading websites, streaming videos or music, downloading apps or files, and scrolling through social media.
Starlink had captured a market share of 1.1 percent at the end of December, with a subscriber base growing more than twentyfold 19,146 users at the end of last year, riding on the back of pricing and data speeds.
This unsettled established players like Safaricom, Jamii Telecommunications Limited (JTL) and Zuku, who called for regulatory curbs against Starlink.
The decline in speeds on Starlink has also been observed in other African countries, including Nigeria, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar. But Kenya has recorded the sharpest drop, making it the second-slowest after Madagascar.
Analysts at Ookla attributed the slowdown to increased demand, which has stretched Starlink’s capacity in the affected countries, making the high browsing speeds seen at launch unsustainable.
“Speeds in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Kenya, and Madagascar – arguably some of Starlink’s biggest markets – were below 50 Mbps, most likely because the provider faces capacity issues and halts new sign-ups,” said Karim Yaici, Ookla’s lead industry analyst, in a research article.
In Nigeria, Starlink speeds have dropped from an average of 150 Mbps in 2023 to 49.6 Mbps, while they stood at 49.2 Mbps in Zimbabwe and 44.2 Mbps in Madagascar.
In November last year, Starlink suspended new sign-ups in Nairobi and neighbouring Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu, and Murang’a counties, citing network overload that exceeded its service capacity.
This came after a series of discounts and incentives in the country, including the sale of the initial kit at half price, introduction of the Starlink Mini – a cheaper version – and the option to lease the kit for a monthly fee instead of buying.
It has yet to resume new sign-ups in the five regions due to capacity exhaustion and only accepts pre-orders from users interested in joining the waitlist that will be activated once additional capacity is installed, although no timeline has been provided.
“We cannot provide an estimated timeframe for service availability, but our teams are working as quickly as possible to add more capacity to the constellation so we can continue to expand coverage for more customers around the world,” notes the firm on its website.
Starlink’s internet is provided via low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites stationed across the globe.
These enable access through data centres or network hubs known as Points of Presence (PoPs), which act as ground-based internet gateways.
Although the company operates over 7,000 satellites globally, it only has two PoPs in Africa – one in Kenya and another in Nigeria, limiting its capacity on the continent. Globally, Starlink has 33 other PoPs, 14 of which are in the United States.
Apart from Kenya, Starlink has also suspended new sign-ups in Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The company can increase its capacity by launching more satellites over high-demand areas or establishing additional PoPs.
Starlink’s subscribers’ growth has seen it overtake notable players such as Dimension Data, Liquid Telecommunications, and Vijiji Connect in market share, underlining the stiff competition facing local internet service providers (ISPs).
Despite the decline in speeds, Starlink still offers faster connections than all other local ISPs, including Safaricom, which combined provide up to four times slower speeds, says Ookla analysis.
It quotes average speeds for Kenya’s ISPs at 14.67 Mbps, but does not provide the speeds for each market player in Kenya.
Several countries where Starlink entered after Kenya now enjoy faster browsing, with Botswana leading at 106 Mbps, followed by Eswatini at 86.2 Mbps.
In the region, Rwanda and Burundi outpaced Kenya during the period, with Starlink speeds averaging 85.5 Mbps and 79.5 Mbps, respectively.
In Nigeria, Starlink’s first African market, the regulator was forced to ban the firm from increasing its prices to help manage demand after its subscriber base reached 65,564 in October last year, overwhelming capacity.
The American firm, riding on the back of the world’s richest persons with a net worth of $237 billion (Sh30.6 trillion), is betting on lowering internet costs.
The firm has disrupted the internet service market in different African countries while facing regulatory challenges in others and resistance from state telecoms monopolies.
