InDepth FAQs: Everything You Need to Know About Starlink in Kenya

Elon Musk has officially launched Starlink in Kenya, and it is quickly looking to become a popular option for Kenyans who are looking for an alternative to traditional internet providers.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, providing satellite Internet access coverage to over 56 countries. It also aims for global mobile phone service after 2023. SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites in 2019. As of May 2023, Starlink consists of over 4,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), which communicate with designated ground transceivers. In total, nearly 12,000 satellites are planned to be deployed, with a possible later extension to 42,000.

Starlink is designed to provide high-speed, low-latency internet access to areas that are currently underserved or unserved by traditional broadband providers. The constellation of satellites is in a much lower orbit than traditional satellite internet providers, which allows for much lower latency and faster speeds. Starlink is also designed to be more reliable than traditional satellite internet, as it is less susceptible to weather interference.

 KES
Starlink Kit 89,000
Shipping and Handling 3,100
Monthly Subscription 6,500
Total 92,100

This is more expensive than some traditional internet providers, but it is still a competitive price for the speeds and reliability that Starlink offers.

The Starlink kit includes a Starlink satellite dish, WiFi router/power supply, cables, and base. The Starlink base is designed for ground-level installation, or to support a quick-start setup to test your internet connection.

SpaceX Starlink Internet Satellite Dish Kit - V2 - Brand New With  Accessories ✓ | eBay

The dish is designed to be mounted outdoors, and it must have a clear view of the sky in order to work properly.

The Starlink kit supports as many people as you want to connect to the internet at the same time. The only limitation is the bandwidth of the connection, while Starlink has no limit on the number of devices you use, you do have a limit on what your hardware can support. The Starlink app says that the Starlink router can support up to 128 devices. Not that you’re going to want to connect 128 devices though.

You still only have so much bandwidth, and it’s going to be split between all your connections. This means that if you have a lot of people streaming video or gaming at the same time, you may experience some slowdown. However, for most households, the bandwidth of the Starlink kit will be more than enough to support multiple users.

Karibu Connect, the authorized Starlink reseller in Kenya, states that “with network priority, up to 125+ users can expect download speeds of up to 250 Mbps, upload up to 35 Mbps & latency of 25-50 ms.”

The Starlink router has a theoretical coverage radius of up to 2,000 square feet. However, the actual coverage radius will vary depending on a number of factors, including the layout of your home, the materials used in your walls, and the presence of other wireless devices.

Your best bet with a setup like Starlink would be to deploy some point-to-point wireless access points to extend connectivity.

Starlink is currently in some kind of ‘beta’ in Kenya, meaning you will get some limitations to the service. For example, Kenyan users will not be able to engage in activities like online gaming or video calls in the first year due to high latency. However, Starlink says that these limitations will be lifted as the service matures.


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