Afrigather The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has mentioned Safaricom was proper to boost considerations in regards to the licensing of unbiased satellite tv for pc suppliers together with Starlink.
“Licensees or service suppliers are at liberty to boost any subject available in the market with the ICT regulator,” CA informed TechCabal.
On July 15, Safaricom requested the regulator to dam satellite tv for pc ISPs with operations in different international locations, a transfer that would lock out Starlink which is the largest satellite tv for pc web supplier in Kenya. The Elon Musk-owned firm depends on resellers to distribute its kits and set up the service.
CA will now examine and tackle Safaricom’s considerations, whilst telco specialists warn that the telco’s transfer might reverse positive aspects Kenya has made in growing web entry and decreasing knowledge prices.
Safaricom additionally alleged safety dangers to the nation if the businesses are allowed to function with no bodily presence or partnerships with native companies. It mentioned licensing such firms “would imply negligible management for the federal government to make sure accountability for any non-compliance points.”
“The authority independently examines such points inside its mandate and regulatory framework and responds appropriately. It’s a regular observe because the Authority seeks to facilitate the event of the dynamic and quickly evolving ICT sector,” CA mentioned.
Safaricom didn’t instantly reply to a request for feedback.
Safaricom dominates Kenya’s knowledge market with a 36.7% market share, adopted by Jamii Telecommunications and Wananchi Group at 23.2% and 22.7% respectively. It has laid 14,000km of fiber optic cables, connecting over 400,000 subscribers.
Starlink’s enlargement, which provides quicker speeds and comparatively decrease costs, might sluggish Safaricom’s knowledge enterprise development. In 2023, the corporate’s cellular cash service M-Pesa and knowledge providers pushed it to the primary revenue in three years.
Safaricom’s knowledge income rose 18% to $1.4 billion, as name revenues shrank 0.6% to $608.4 million–persevering with a pattern noticed lately.
Starlink’s new satellite tv for pc updates might additional upset native telcos’ name and messaging providers if allowed to proceed working in Kenya. The satellite tv for pc ISP introduced on Monday that its upgrades will now carry name providers, permitting customers to bypass native suppliers.
Have you ever received your early-bird tickets to the Moonshot Convention? Click on this hyperlink to seize ’em and take a look at our fast-growing listing of audio system coming to the convention!
