Safaricom targets budget Kenyans with $6/month internet

Safaricom Kenya launches low-cost broadband plans starting at KES 800 ($6) monthly, challenging smaller internet providers in price-sensitive segments. The telecom giant is testing Wi-Fi Bamba, a pay-as-you-go service in Nairobi's Kawangware, Kangemi, and Kiambu Bus Park areas with 800+ active users.

Entry-level products include Wi-Fi Bamba and Fibre Lite, offering 10-20 Mbps speeds. Unlike traditional fiber, Wi-Fi Bamba requires no installation, router, or subscription—customers connect directly, select browsing packages, pay through M-PESA, and start immediately. The service uses wireless access points fed by fiber connections through Safaricom's base stations.

This expansion pits Safaricom against established players like Poa! Internet (263k+ subscribers), Ahadi Wireless (222k+), and Vilcom (133k+), who have dominated affordable broadband where Safaricom controls only 34.9% of fixed internet subscriptions (vs 66.8% mobile). If the pilot succeeds, Safaricom will enter a market smaller providers built over years, as Kenyan demand for home internet grows.

For Nigeria's telecom landscape, this signals a potential shift as mobile giants like MTN and Airtel might target similar low-cost broadband strategies for price-sensitive customers currently served by smaller ISPs and estate Wi-Fi operators.

SOURCE: https://techcabal.com/2026/06/05/safaricoms-6-fibre-plan-targets-market/