By Agnetta Okwemba
The Giant telecommunication company Safaricom has declared that it is not intimidated by the recent market entry of Starlink, vowing to continue delivering top-notch services to customers.
Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, set foot into the Kenyan market in July 2023 with a cost-cutting strategy.
Its router-free nature enables a direct connectivity of mobile phones to satellites regardless of having an expensive hardware.
This however seemed like a threat to Safaricom company that have been dominantly serving in the Kenyan telecommunication sector for over 20 years.
In the online debates, users have claimed that Safaricom is cancelling payments to Starlink that are made through Mpesa.
They also claimed that Starlink will soon take over the telecommunication space.
But the giant telecommunication company Safaricom however refuted the claims saying they are ready to help those with issues in making starlink payments.
Just like any other service provider interested in having a piece of the pie but was unsuccessful, Safaricom confidently stands their ground.
During a Grow My Business Forum powered by Safaricom, Cynthia Kropac Chief Enterprise Business Officer said that they are committed to price cutting of their services.
Briefly mentioning the entry of Starlink in the Kenya market being not a threat to its services, Cynthia said that they are working to leverage the Artificial Intelligence into understanding their consumers’ preferences and thus having tailor made bundles.
“When looking for solutions, people should not only look for affordability but also easily accessible ones” she said.
Even with its high speed performance, Starlinks’ affordability remains a matter of interest.
The cost of the kit plus the subscription fees may still be out of reach for the targeted low waged households.
It is a matter of wait and see if Starlink telecommunication company will fight for its market space against Safaricom that has continued to serve its customers for over two decades.
