Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecommunications operator, is making a major move into the low-cost internet market. The company has introduced ultra-affordable broadband plans starting at just KES 800 ($6) a month.
Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecommunications operator, is making a major move into the low-cost internet market. The company has introduced ultra-affordable broadband plans starting at just KES 800 ($6) a month.
This new strategy directly targets a highly competitive market segment that has long been dominated by small, localized estate internet providers and community Wi-Fi operators.
While Safaricom has comfortably led Kenya’s mobile data market for years, the fixed home internet landscape in lower-income and densely populated neighborhoods looks very different.
In these areas, large numbers of price-sensitive customers rely on nimble, estate-based internet service providers (ISPs). Companies like Poa! Internet, Ahadi Wireless, and Vilcom have collectively captured hundreds of thousands of subscribers by offering cheap, flexible, and informal payment models.
To challenge this dominance, Safaricom is rolling out two budget-friendly solutions aimed at winning over these households.
1. “Wi-Fi Bamba” (Pay-As-You-Go)
Currently being trialed in high-footfall and densely populated areas like Kawangware, Kangemi, and the Kiambu Bus Park, this product is designed for ultimate flexibility.
• No Router Needed: Customers do not need to install equipment or buy a physical router.
• Instant Connection: Users simply connect directly to a Safaricom hotspot from their devices, choose a browse package, and pay instantly via M-PESA.
• Price: Starts at just KES 800 ($6) per month for speeds up to 10 Mbps.
2. “Fibre Lite”
Built specifically for affordable housing developments and lower-income estates, this plan brings a dedicated physical fiber line into homes at a lower price point than Safaricom’s traditional premium packages.
• Price: Tiers range from KES 1,500 ($12) for 15 Mbps up to KES 2,000 ($15) for 20 Mbps.
Why Safaricom is Shifting Gears
The move highlights a clear shift in Safaricom’s long-term broadband growth strategy. Premium residential areas are largely saturated, leaving the mass market as the primary frontier for new fixed-line internet growth.
By slashing prices to the $6 mark, Safaricom is lowering the barrier to entry for millions of households that previously viewed home fiber as a luxury. This setup allows families to transition away from expensive mobile data bundles or unreliable, informal neighborhood networks onto a stable, high-speed connection.
If the ongoing “Wi-Fi Bamba” pilots prove commercially viable, Safaricom plans to scale the low-cost infrastructure to similar neighborhoods across all of Kenya, triggering an intense price and value war for estate internet supremacy.
