The launch of a Starlink Point of Presence (PoP) in Nairobi at the end of January 2025 is already reshaping the internet landscape across East Africa.
The ground station, which is Starlink’s second in Africa after Nigeria, was set up to reduce latency issues that typically affect satellite internet users in the region.
According to a recent report, the new PoP has led to significant improvements in service quality, particularly in upload speeds and latency.
In Kenya, for instance, upload speeds jumped to 14.85 Mbps in Q1 2025, more than twice the average recorded in the previous quarter.
Similar trends were observed in Rwanda, Malawi, and Zambia, where upload speeds increased by more than 60%.
Latency has also improved dramatically. Kenya, Nigeria, and Rwanda recorded the best performance on the continent in Q1 2025, with median multi-server latency at 53ms, 60 ms, and 67 ms, respectively.
Kenya saw an 81% drop in latency, while Rwanda’s latency decreased by 70% over the same period.
Despite these gains, satellite-based internet in some African countries still faces performance gaps compared to traditional fiber or mobile networks.
Regions like Madagascar and Sierra Leone, for example, continue to experience high latency levels.
Jimmy Grewal, managing director at Elcome and an authorized reseller of Starlink dishes to commercial ships, welcomed the Nairobi launch, saying it marks a major milestone in Starlink’s efforts to offer faster and more reliable internet across Africa.
By Sandra Zynant
