Safaricom is preparing to roll out a pay-as-you-go fibre broadband service for homes and offices across Kenya, in a move aimed at making fixed internet services more flexible and affordable.
The new offering will allow customers to purchase broadband in smaller, time-based bundles, similar to mobile data packages, reducing the need for long-term monthly commitments.
Flexible Fibre Plans to Replace One-Size-Fits-All Billing
Safaricom says the initiative is designed to address the limitations of traditional monthly broadband plans, which many households find expensive or poorly suited to their usage patterns.
By shifting to daily, weekly, and monthly fibre internet options, the company hopes to mirror the success it achieved with prepaid mobile data and broaden access to home connectivity.
Ambitious Plan to Grow Kenya’s Fixed Broadband Market
The telecoms operator aims to triple the size of Kenya’s fixed broadband market within five years, significantly expanding the number of connected households.
At present, Safaricom has between 400,000 and 500,000 fibre subscribers, compared with more than 50 million mobile customers. The company is now targeting growth to four million connected homes, highlighting a major opportunity in underserved areas.
Sylvia Anampiu Named Director of Fixed Business
To drive this expansion, Safaricom has appointed Sylvia Anampiu as Director of Fixed Business, effective January 5.
In her new role, Anampiu will oversee strategy, growth, and profitability across Safaricom’s fixed broadband portfolio, covering both residential and enterprise services. A key focus will be on developing pricing models that lower barriers for households beyond high-income neighbourhoods.
Expanding Enterprise Services and Digital Bundles
Beyond home connectivity, Anampiu will lead efforts to bundle fixed internet with ICT, cloud, and IoT solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, an area Safaricom believes remains largely untapped.
She joins Safaricom from Bayobab Kenya, a subsidiary of MTN Group, where she served as managing director and led fibre network expansion. Her career also includes senior roles at Airtel Africa, Orange Kenya, and Bayer East Africa.
CEO Says Fixed Broadband Can Follow Mobile Data Playbook
Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa said the company intends to transform fixed broadband services using the same flexible pricing approach that drove mobile data adoption.
“We currently have just over 400,000 fixed broadband customers in a market serving about 1.2 million households. Nationally, the opportunity is closer to four million,” Ndegwa said, noting that nearly three million homes are yet to be connected.
Fixed Internet Segment Forecast to Grow Rapidly
Safaricom expects its fixed broadband business to grow by up to 50% annually, supported by a mix of fibre connections, 5G fixed wireless access, and more affordable customer devices.
The company also plans to roll out tokenised Wi-Fi access in the second half of its financial year, allowing users to buy internet access without entering long-term contracts.
Fixed Connectivity Central to Safaricom’s Growth Strategy
Ndegwa emphasised that fixed broadband and enterprise services are critical to delivering a high-quality internet experience and are central to Safaricom’s next phase of growth.
By tightening integration across its consumer, enterprise, and public sector offerings, Safaricom is positioning fixed connectivity as a core pillar of its long-term digital services strategy in Kenya.
