Elon Musk's Company Set to Launch Satellite Internet Service in Kenya

American satellite internet provider Starlink has announced it will launch in Kenya in the second quarter of this year.

Starlink, which is owned by US billionaire Elon Musk, said it is “pending service coverage or regulatory approval”.

Business Daily reports that Kenyans can order and deposit $99 (Sh12,000), which is fully refundable, to get the service if approved.

“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,” the company said on its website.

The company said it would target major cities and towns in Kenyan including Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nakuru in the three months ending in June.

It will mainly target corporate customers who are seeking high-speed internet.

Starlink, which is operated by SpaceX, uses satellites to provide global broadband internet access, similar to how the global positioning system (GPS) provides location data to cell phones worldwide.

SpaceX delivers the Starlink service with its large satellite constellation in low earth orbit (LEO), at about 550km. The company currently has more than 3,000 satellites in orbit and continues to expand.

“Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency service is made possible via the world’s largest constellation of highly advanced satellites operating in a low orbit around the Earth,” the company says on its website.

In May 2022, SpaceX told the US government that it had more than 400,000 global subscribers up from 250,000 subscribers in March.

Starlink currently provides satellite internet access coverage to 45 countries.