Kenya’s leading telecommunications company, Safaricom, has responded to claims that it has blocked the M-Pesa payments to rival internet service provider (ISP) Starlink.
The allegations emerged after the heightened competition between the satellite internet owned by American billionaire Elon Musk and the local ISPs.
Responding to the viral claims on X, the telco insisted that the M-Pesa payment option for Starlink Internet is still available.
The firm asked the subscribers having challenges in making the aforementioned payments to contact it for assistance.
In its quest to increase its subscribers in Kenya, Starlink introduced discounted offers.
First, it significantly reduced its installation fee from around KSh 89,000 in 2023 to about KSh 30,000 in August 2024.
The company also announced an option for Kenyans to rent its hardware kit for KSh 1,950 per month and pay a one-time activation fee of KSh 2,700.
Supposedly feeling the heat and risk of losing customers, Safaricom urged the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to regulate Starlink and other satellite internet providers.
The telco argued that satellite coverage could cross borders and illegally provide services within Kenya, leading to ‘harmful interference’, among other reasons, necessitating regulation.
