After a seven-month freeze, Starlink has officially resumed new customer sign-ups in Nairobi and surrounding counties, offering renewed hope for faster and more reliable internet in Kenya’s tech capital.
The SpaceX-owned satellite internet service paused registrations in November 2024 for key areas including Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado, and Murang’a, citing network congestion due to overwhelming demand. The suspension left many users unable to access or expand services, despite growing interest in satellite broadband—especially in underserved urban and peri-urban zones.
Ground Station Boosts Bandwidth
The major turning point came in January 2025, when Starlink quietly launched a ground station (Point of Presence) in Nairobi. This infrastructure upgrade helped offload traffic from satellites and improve local latency and throughput. By June 2025, with increased capacity, the company began reinstating new user activations in the affected counties.
“New sign-ups are live again. We’re seeing improved performance and wider coverage,” confirmed a Nairobi-based installer affiliated with Starlink.
Surge in Demand and Market Impact
Before the service pause, Starlink’s user base in Kenya surged from 8,000 to 17,000 between June and September 2024. The spike in demand pushed it from the 10th to the 8th largest fixed internet service provider in the country.
Industry observers attribute the growth to Starlink’s ability to deliver high-speed internet in areas where fiber is limited or unreliable. Many early adopters include SMEs, remote workers, rural schools, and tech-savvy households seeking alternatives to traditional providers.
Performance & Pricing
Users now report download speeds of 50–150 Mbps, upload speeds up to 15 Mbps, and latency ranging from 18 to 40 milliseconds—a significant improvement from earlier figures. However, Starlink’s affordability remains a concern for the average Kenyan consumer.
Current pricing:
- KES 30,000 (~$230 USD) for the satellite kit (dish, router, cables)
- KES 6,500/month (~$50 USD) for the internet subscription
While competitive in remote regions, this cost is still steep compared to fiber bundles offered by Safaricom, Zuku, or Airtel in urban neighborhoods.
Regulatory Headwinds
The return to Nairobi’s market comes amid looming regulatory changes. Kenya’s Communications Authority is considering a massive hike in annual license fees for satellite ISPs—from KES 1.6 million (~$12,000) to KES 15 million (~$115,000). Additionally, a new 0.4% levy on annual turnover is under discussion.
Industry insiders warn that such changes could affect the viability of satellite ISPs and possibly be passed down to consumers through price hikes.
The Bigger Picture
Starlink’s Nairobi comeback signals growing competition in Kenya’s internet space. As more consumers look for reliable connectivity beyond fiber, satellite internet may become a viable long-term solution—if costs and regulations remain favorable.
Meanwhile, traditional telcos are not standing still. Safaricom, Airtel, and Faiba are investing heavily in fiber expansion and 5G rollouts to retain market share.
With network congestion addressed and new sign-ups reenabled, Starlink’s return to Nairobi is good news for high-demand users—especially in locations still plagued by slow or unreliable connections. The real test, however, will be affordability, service reliability, and regulatory stability in the months ahead.