Starlink suspended new subscriptions to its internet services in Nairobi and surrounding areas following a network overload.
This is after a section of users in the greater Nairobi metropolitan area complained of the company failing to provide residential, business, and ROAM service plans.
The move shocked many new subscribers who however expressed optimism it will be back.
In response, the tech company, founded by the world’s richest man Elon Musk, explained that it was overwhelmed with users and their bandwidth and could not support any additional customers.
“Nairobi and neighbouring areas are currently at network capacity. This means that too many users are trying to access the Starlink service within Nairobi and there isn’t enough bandwidth to support additional residential or roaming customers at this time,” a statement said.
To check if your area is currently available for residential service, Starlink directed users to its official websites to check availability. The mapping, however, shows that Nairobi metropolis was sold out.
“No roaming plans are available in Kenya at this time. Starlink is working to restore service in the disrupted areas and a notification will be sent once the residential plan is back,” Starlink added.
Other affected areas include Thika, Kajiado, Kiambu, parts of Murang’a, Naivasha, Ngong, Machakos and sections of Narok. In General, seven counties were affected.
The company said the affordable packages were out of stock and only those charging above Sh130,000 per month were available.
Starlink entered the Kenyan market in July 2023 with a promise of internet connection at low prices, a move that faced backlash in the market.
That notwithstanding, Starlink’s uptake has been impressive. This is because of its ability to support services in areas not possible with terrestrial solutions such as North Eastern parts of Kenya.
Owing to the expensive cost of the kit, the company started a rental service of Starlink kit for Sh1,950 a month or purchase the kit at Sh45,500.
Communications Authority (CA) data shows that Starlink got over 8,000 customers in Kenya by June 30, 2024, accounting for a 0.5 per cent market share.
As of August 2024, the package for residential homes in Kenya for unlimited high-speed, low-latency internet data was Sh6,500 per month.
The roaming package goes for Sh14,000 per month and its features include unlimited mobile data inland, portability, and pause Service.
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