Tesla CEO, Space X founder and Twitter boss Elon Musk has revealed that his company Starlink will be available in Kenya in 2023.
Starlink is an internet service subsidiary firm of Space X that ventures into space exploration. Starlink offers high-speed internet connectivity to both urban, rural and remote areas.
The internet speed is well preferred for streaming, high-quality video calls and online gaming.
The Sh. 10 trillion company is expected to launch Starlink internet connectivity in Kenya in the second quarter of 2023.
This is according to the Starlink coverage map which showed the first region to receive coverage are Nairobi and Mombasa.
According to Starlink, one can make reservations for the service by paying an initial deposit of Sh. 12,241.
“Order now to reserve your Starlink. Starlink is targeting service in your area starting in Q2 2023. Availability is subject to regulatory approval.”
“Within each coverage area, orders are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis,” read the statement in part.
To register, one should provide details such as names, emails and billing information such as credit card.
The service is installed through an array antenna, a wi-fi router, cables and a base provided.
Kenya will become among the first countries in Africa to enjoy high-speed internet service.
It is expected that Starlink will strongly rival local giant internet service providers Safaricom and Faiba.
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Other countries scheduled to have access to Starlink internet are Nigeria and Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Mozambique.
Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi will receive Starlink connectivity in the first quarter of 2023.
Starlink satellites were launched in May 2019 and they operate in over 37 countries in the world. The 3,200 satellites orbit the low Earth orbit.
Charges
In the US, Starlink charges $110 (Sh. 13,613) per month including an initial installation fee of $599 (Sh. 74,126).
For 150Mbps to 500Mbps, the price hit $500 (Sh. 61,875) per month, plus an installation fee of $2,500 (Sh. 309,375).
But this should not mean that Starlink prices will be equal across the globe. Prices could be calculated according to regional tariffs.