Starlink’s satellite internet service is losing momentum in Kenya, with more than 10% of its subscribers disconnecting in early 2025 despite an overall 8% expansion in the country’s fixed internet market.

Industry data from the Communications Authority shows the company shed over 2,000 customers in the first quarter alone, as consumers gravitated back to local internet service providers (ISPs) offering faster speeds, lower prices, and better customer care.

“Starlink’s high costs and slow speeds have deterred many users,” said Nairobi-based data analyst and former subscriber Chris Orwa, who reported paying around Ksh 15,000 a month for speeds that sometimes dropped to 10 Mbps — more than triple what many local ISPs charge.

While Starlink advertises download speeds of 25–220 Mbps, Ookla recorded a median of just 47 Mbps in Kenya as of May. The company’s entry-level residential plan costs about Ksh 4,000 per month with a Ksh 27,000 hardware fee, but network congestion has forced some customers into higher-priced packages costing up to Ksh 6,500 a month.

Late in 2024, Starlink temporarily halted new urban signups in Nairobi and other densely populated areas, citing capacity limits — a pause that allowed local ISPs to aggressively undercut it on price and service quality.

“Other providers have stepped up with more bandwidth at lower costs and better customer support,” said technology analyst and early adopter Moses Kemibaro.

Without a physical presence in Kenya, Starlink’s online-only support has left some users frustrated. Orwa says a hardware fault he reported in October 2024 remained unresolved.

The result is a clear shift in consumer sentiment: after a surge in signups in 2023–24, Starlink’s once-glowing appeal in Kenya is now dimming under the twin pressures of cost and competition.