Why Starlink Suspended New Subscriptions In Nairobi & Environs
This is after a section of users in the greater Nairobi metropolitan area complained of the company failing to provide residential, business, and ROAM service plans.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
Starlink has suspended new subscriptions to its internet services in Nairobi and surrounding areas amidst a surge in popularity amongst internet users who have grown to embrace it due to its fast and affordable internet in remote locations.
This is after a section of users in the greater Nairobi metropolitan area complained of the company failing to provide residential, business, and ROAM service plans.
The tech company responded by revealing that it was overwhelmed with users and their bandwidth and could not support additional customers.
"Nairobi and neighbouring areas are currently at network capacity. This means that too many users are trying to access the Starlink service within Nairobi and there isn't enough bandwidth to support additional residential or roaming customers at this time,” a statement from the company, founded by Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, read in part.
A graphic of Elon Musk and Starlink. /YOUTUBE
To see if your area is currently available for residential service, Starlink directed users to its official websites to check availability. The mapping, however, shows that the Nairobi metropolis was sold out.
“No roaming plans are available in Kenya at this time. Starlink is working to restore service in the disrupted areas and a notification will be sent once the residential plan is back,” Starlink added.
Other affected areas include Thika, Kajiado, Kiambu, parts of Murang'a, Naivasha, Ngong, Machakos and sections of Narok. In general, seven counties were affected.
The company further indicated that the affordable packages were out of stock and only those charging above Ksh130,000 per month were available.
Starlink has been breaking more ground in Kenya following its entry to the Kenyan market in July 2023 with a promise of internet connection at low prices, despite facing backlash.
It really gained prominence the following year in the heat of Gen Z protests against the Finance Bill 2024 with Kenyans turning to the internet in massive numbers to stay informed on current affairs in the country. Data from Kenya's Communications Authority (CA) shows that Starlink got over 8,000 customers in Kenya by June 30, 2024, accounting for a 0.5 per cent market share.
Starlink's uptake has been impressive. This is because of its ability to support services in areas not possible with terrestrial solutions such as North Eastern parts of Kenya.
On September 26, Starlink introduced its more affordable Mini variety in response to its growing popularity amongst internet users who have however kept off from purchasing the package owing to its high hardware cost.
Cost Of Starlink Mini
The Mini kit is a more budget-friendly option for many Kenyans, priced at Ksh27,000, which is compared to the standard kit price which costs Ksh45,000 with a monthly subscription starting at Ksh8,000.
Some of the key packages available in the new kit include 50 GB for Ksh1,300 monthly, a Residential Lite package for Ksh4,000, and a high-speed option offering up to 200 Mbps for Ksh6,500.
Starlink Mini is more compact in size and portable compared to the Starlink Standard. Mini covers up to 112 square meters and is recommended for basic internet applications in both fixed and portable use, while Standard covers up to 297 square metres, can endure extreme weather and environmental elements, and is ideal for streaming video calls, and gaming.
Starlink Mini can connect up to 128 devices, compared to Standard which supports up to 235 devices. While Starlink Standard comes with a Gen 3 WiFi Router, Starlink Mini comes with integrated WiFi.
