Safaricom Plc Kenya has announced that its fixed internet business had a 9.1% increase in income, bringing the total to Ksh 7.4 billion for the six-month period ending in September 2023. On Thursday, the telecommunications company disclosed this information in conjunction with the publication of its 2023/2024 Half Year Results.
Customer growth is the primary factor that Safaricom cites for the expansion of their fixed internet business, which includes the rollout of fiber to the home.
When compared to 173,000 over the same time period the previous year, the number of home fiber users had climbed by 29% as of September 2023, reaching a total of 223,000.
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More About Safaricom
Back in 2014, in order to meet the growing demand from customers for internet streaming services, Safaricom began rolling out its residential fiber service. Despite the fact that the telecommunications company was late to the party, the service has become one of its most important offers and now connects thousands of households all over the country.
The service is currently offered in a number of Kenyan towns, including but not limited to Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Thika, Bungoma, Kitale, Nyeri, and Nanyuki. As part of a plan to build up its wireline business, the company has set a goal of connecting one million households in Kenya to full-fiber links. This will be accomplished as part of the planned ramp-up.
Stephen Maina, Senior Manager of Safaricom Home Fibre Products and Services, disclosed in a previous interview that was broadcast on our 24Bit podcast that the telecommunications company was working toward making the service accessible to a greater number of people in Kenya.
‘’We have worked so hard to make sure all homes are connected,’’ he said.
A brief on Maina
Stephen Maina is a devoted telecommunications expert with over a decade of expertise in a variety of fields. He has worked in a wide range of industries. He is a Senior Manager in Fixed Data Tribe, and his primary area of responsibility is the consumer space. He is in charge of all the problems that can be solved using Home Internet.
In a nutshell, his typical workday would consist of collaborating with teams who work across functional lines to develop new products or features that will improve the overall quality of the customer experience and increase the company’s market share.
Safaricom users can obtain 4G smartphones with 12 months payment plan
How Safaricom still leads in Kenya
According to recent statistics released by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), Safaricom continues to be the leading Internet service provider (ISP). With 427,003 fixed internet data subscribers (including residential and business), the company now holds a 36.2% market share, with Jamii Telecom Limited (JTL) coming in second.
The majority of fixed data/Internet subscribers in Kenya are using speeds greater than or equal to 2 Mbps and less than 10 Mbps, according to data from CA’s sector statistics report. Notably, the report states that fiber technology was used to connect 60.2% of fixed data/Internet subscribers.
Increased 5G Wi-Fi volumes for Home Consumer packages, which offer 400GB for 3,499/-, 800GB for 5,999/-, and 1500GB for 9,999/-, were also recently announced by Safaricom. Unlimited plans are available with 5G Wi-Fi for Business, with 10 Mbps starting at Kes 4,000.