SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday responded to Kenyans requesting to make Starlink cheaper in the country amid political unrest. He assured them that the cheaper and smaller Starlink Mini dishes will be available in the country later this year.
What Happened: “Starlink Mini will be about half the standard terminal price and available later this year,” Musk wrote in response to Kenyan users who took to X to request offers on Starlink.
The request for making Starlink more affordable comes on the heels of reports of a major internet disruption in Kenya amid protests against the finance bill 2024 which includes tax increases.
Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday subsequently withdrew the bill, Reuters reported. However, protestors continue to call for the President to step down after at least 23 people died and scores were wounded as protestors clashed with the police on Tuesday.
“When Kenyans were suffering, our current ISPs collaborated to oppress us. We don't trust them anymore. Please make STARLINK more affordable,” George Njoroge from Nairobi, Kenya wrote to Musk.
“Elon Musk, give Kenyans another offer for Starlink. We will subscribe in droves,” another user urged the CEO.
Why It Matters: Earlier this month, Musk said that the Mini Starlink hardware will “change the world” and have “massive demand in lower-income parts of the world.” He also said that the smaller dish would be priced at about half of the standard dish, hinting at a $250-$300 price point in the U.S.
However, last week, SpaceX started contacting Starlink customers in the U.S. inviting them to purchase the Mini Kit, priced at $599, much higher than Musk's estimate. The company, however, said that it intends to eventually bring down the price of Starlink use, particularly in parts of the world where connectivity is unavailable.
According to details of the hardware posted on the Starlink website, the Mini dish measures 11.75 inches long and 10.2 inches wide, making it portable and easy to fit in a backpack given its roughly the size of a laptop.
Starlink is the satellite internet segment of Musk's SpaceX. The service is now available across 100 countries, including Kenya, providing connectivity to over 3 million customers. However, the standard Starlink hardware is now priced at 45,500 Kenyan Shillings (about $352) in Nairobi with service priced at 6,500 Kenyan Shillings (about $50) per month.
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