Airtel Kenya, the country’s second-largest telecommunications operator, is preparing to enter the home fibre internet market, setting the stage for a new battle against Safaricom, Zuku, and Jamii Telecom’s Faiba in Kenya’s increasingly competitive broadband landscape.
Airtel Kenya managing director Ashish Malhotra announced that the company’s fibre service would be unveiled “soon”, marking a major step in the operator’s diversification beyond its traditional mobile business. Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony of Airtel’s 44MW data centre at Tatu City, Malhotra said the company aims to provide high-speed and affordable internet solutions for homes across the country.
“Airtel Fibre is something that we will embark upon in the course of time. We will have a launch for that and invite you soon,” said Malhotra. “In days to come, months to come, we will launch our home hardware. It is work in progress.”
The race for home internet dominance
Airtel’s entry into the fixed broadband space comes at a time when demand for high-speed internet in Kenya is booming, driven by remote work, e-learning, and the rise of digital entertainment platforms. Data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows that fixed broadband subscriptions reached 1.86 million in March 2025, up from 1.3 million a year earlier — a growth of more than 40%.
Currently, Safaricom dominates the sector with 678,118 active subscriptions (36.5%), followed by Faiba at 418,309 (22.5%), Zuku at 14.4%, and Poa Internet at 14.1%. Airtel, which has not previously operated in the fixed fibre space, has offered a fixed wireless broadband service since 2024, priced at KES 2,000 for an unlimited 15 Mbps plan — an affordable option that has already gained traction among urban users.
The move into home fibre reflects Airtel’s ambition to capitalize on Kenya’s growing digital economy by offering integrated solutions that combine mobile, broadband, and digital payments. With extensive infrastructure, strong brand recognition, and a growing subscriber base, Airtel is well-positioned to challenge market leaders who have long dominated Kenya’s fixed internet segment.
Riding on subscriber growth and infrastructure expansion
Airtel’s fibre launch coincides with significant momentum in its core mobile operations. In the first quarter of 2025, the telco added 3 million new subscribers, bringing its total to 24.5 million, equivalent to 32.2% of the mobile market. Over the same period, Safaricom’s market share fell to 63.3%, down from nearly 70% two years earlier — signaling a narrowing gap between the two leading operators.
The company’s upcoming data centre at Tatu City will serve as a backbone for its broadband ambitions, offering cloud hosting, edge computing, and digital connectivity services to enterprises and consumers alike. This infrastructure will strengthen Airtel’s ability to deliver reliable, high-capacity fibre connections across Kenya’s major towns and cities.
Meanwhile, Airtel Money, the operator’s mobile financial services arm, has also reached a record 9% share of the mobile money market, supported by lower transaction costs, enhanced interoperability, and a rapidly expanding agent network. The synergy between Airtel’s digital payments ecosystem and its growing broadband business is expected to create new cross-platform opportunities for customers and partners.
Competitive shake-up in Kenya’s broadband sector
Airtel’s entry into home fibre introduces a formidable challenger to an already intense broadband market. While Safaricom has maintained its dominance through strong investment in infrastructure and customer loyalty programs, and Faiba continues to leverage its aggressive pricing, the arrival of Airtel could spark a new price war and service quality race.
Smaller rivals like Zuku and Poa Internet, already under margin pressure, may find it difficult to compete with Airtel’s financial muscle, nationwide distribution, and technological reach. Analysts expect that the company’s broadband rollout will initially target high-demand urban areas such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Eldoret, before expanding to smaller towns through partnerships and infrastructure sharing.
With the rise of home offices, digital education, and streaming services, Kenya’s fixed broadband market is set to remain one of the fastest-growing segments in the telecommunications industry. Airtel Kenya’s move positions it not only as a mobile powerhouse but also as a comprehensive digital service provider — a direct challenger to Safaricom’s long-standing dominance.
