During the July-September 2016 period, the number of Internet subscriptions stood at 25.6 million down from 26.8 million subscriptions recorded in the previous period, April-June 2016. This represented a decline of 4.5 percent. The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) attributes this decline to revision of Internet subscriptions data by Telkom Kenya Limited to a regulatory requirement. Consequently, this translated to Internet/data penetration level of 85.3 percent during the quarter. However, compared with the same period of the previous financial year, a growth of 18.5 percent was realized.
The number of mobile Internet/data subscriptions declined to 25.5 million during the quarter down from 26.7 million subscriptions recorded during the previous period. This translates to a 4.5 percent drop. Looking at the bigger picture, mobile Internet/data subscriptions contributed 99 percent of the total Internet/data subscriptions.
On dissecting the mobile Internet/data subscriptions, we realise that:
- Safaricom Limited’s market share stood at 63.2 percent in the quarter under review.
- Airtel Kenya Limited posted a 21.2 percent market share during the period under review.
- Telkom Kenya Limited recorded a market share of 6.6 percent.
- Finserve Africa Limited (Equitel) reported a market share of 8.9 percent.
- The market share for Sema Mobile Services remained below 0.0 percent. It is worth noting that Sema Mobile Service Limited launched its services in the last financial year.
Terrestrial wireless data subscriptions increased during the period under review to register 15,835 subscriptions up from 13,449 recorded during the last quarter. This represents a growth of 17.7 percent.
Similarly satellite subscriptions registered a remarkable increase to stand at 598 subscriptions up from 280 subscriptions registered in the last quarter. This was essentially an increase of 113.6 percent. However, compared to the same period of the previous financial year, a decline of 16.9 percent was noted.
On the other hand, fixed DSL subscriptions stood at 2,583 subscriptions down from 3,063 subscriptions recorded in the previous quarter representing a 15.7 percent decline.
The number of fibre optic subscriptions grew by 20.7 percent to stand at 33,269 subscriptions during the period up from 27,571 subscriptions recorded the previous period.
Finally, fixed cable modem subscriptions recorded an increase of 8.4 percent to post 83,789 subscriptions up from 77,319 subscriptions recorded in the previous quarter.
