Starlink, the satellite internet service provider affiliated with billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has launched a kit rental option in Kenya.
This announcement was made earlier this week, allowing customers to pay a one-time activation fee of Ksh 2,700.
Following this, users will incur a monthly hardware rental fee of Ksh 1,950, while service plans commence at Ksh 1,300 per month.
The company asserts that this rental option provides customers with internet speeds of up to 200Mbps.
Since its entry into the Kenyan market in July 2023, Starlink has progressively offered competitively priced internet packages along with enhanced speed.
However, the initial hardware cost has deterred many potential customers.
Upon its introduction in Kenya, the Starlink kit was priced at Ksh 74,000, but this cost has decreased as the kits became available through retail chains such as Carrefour and online platforms like Jumia.
Earlier this year, the company revealed a promotion aimed at lowering hardware expenses to a minimum of Ksh 39,500.
Additionally, last month, it introduced another offer, pricing the kit at Ksh 29,000.
Starlink has also been implementing more affordable service plans to compete with local internet providers, including the market leader Safaricom and Airtel.
For example, last month, the satellite company launched a 50 GB monthly data plan priced at Ksh 1,300, in contrast to Airtel’s Ksh 3,000 for a comparable package.
