Starlink has halted new residential sign-ups in seven of Kenya’s busiest counties after reaching network capacity.
The move means prospective subscribers in Nairobi, Kiambu, Mombasa, Machakos, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, and Kwale can no longer place new orders, signalling growing demand for the satellite internet service and raising questions about when additional capacity will become available.
Since its launch in July 2023, Starlink has experienced exponential growth, with the number of subscribers increasing significantly as the company introduced repeated price reductions.
The growth of the firm has been driven by the affordability of its internet service and lower equipment costs.
The satellite kit, which once cost Sh89,000, now goes for around Sh49,900, while customers unable to pay the upfront cost can rent the equipment for Sh1,950 per month and subscribe separately to internet service packages.
In addition, Starlink offers 50GB of monthly data at Sh1,300, a price that undercuts what many traditional internet providers were offering.
The price reductions have helped Starlink attract customers in rural areas where fibre networks remain limited, while also drawing small businesses and urban households looking for fast, affordable, and reliable internet services.
The strategy has proved effective, helping the company triple its subscriber base from 8,000 in June 2024 to nearly 25,000 by March this year, according to the latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
The rapid increase in subscribers has, however, created network capacity constraints, leading to the suspension of new sign-ups in some areas.
Unlike fibre networks, Starlink relies on satellites orbiting overhead, and each satellite can only support a limited number of users in a specific area before congestion affects performance.
Adding more customers without increasing capacity could therefore lead to reduced service quality and slower internet speeds.
“Starlink service is currently at capacity in your area. However, the good news is you can still place a deposit now to reserve your spot on the wait-list and receive a notification as soon as service becomes available again,” reads a message displayed during a purchase attempt.
“Please note that we cannot provide an estimated timeframe for service availability, but our teams are working as quickly as possible to add more capacity in the constellation so we can continue to expand coverage for more customers around the world.”
Although no new ground station openings were announced specifically for July 2026, the provider is expected to continue expanding its network model by routing more traffic locally over fibre rather than backhauling it to distant hubs.
This approach could help free up satellite bandwidth and allow more users to be served efficiently as demand continues to rise.
– By Regan Oluoch
