Kenya President William Samoei Ruto recently visited SpaceX's headquarters (HQ) in Hawthorne, California, to discuss bringing more affordable Starlink broadband service to the country, he shared on September 16. The President also recognizes Starlink's potential to enhance internet services across the East Africa country and strengthen the digital economy. Ruto's visit to the United States included meetings with various companies and government officials to discuss opportunities for collaboration and investment.
President Ruto expressed his appreciation for Starlink's vision and commitment to global connectivity via his X social media account. "An insightful day at SpaceX, understanding the transformative power of Starlink. Thank you Elon Musk for your vision and commitment to global connectivity. Encouraged to see the collaboration with Kenya's Karibu Connect. Together, we are on the cusp of a more connected and innovative future," he said.
The President shared a photograph of him at SpaceX HQ holding a Starlink user antenna next to a Falcon 9 rocket booster and company representatives. "Starlink presents a promising solution for achieving universal internet access by overcoming traditional infrastructure limitations. Their investment has the ability to significantly enhance high-speed connectivity in remote villages, schools and various institutions across the country, thus unlocking the full potential of our digital economy," said President Ruto. "Visited StarLink/SpaceX factory in Los Angeles, United States; urged the organization to work towards reducing the cost of internet access in the country," he captioned the photo on September 16 (linked below).
.@Starlink presents a promising solution for achieving universal internet access by overcoming traditional infrastructure limitations. Their investment has the ability to significantly enhance high-speed connectivity in remote villages, schools and various institutions across the… pic.twitter.com/NGstlkC6fG
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 17, 2023
Starlink, which became available in Kenya on July 18, 2023, currently offers internet services at a cost of Ksh.74,216 ($599 USD) for hardware to access the satellite network. The company says it can provide speeds exceeding 150Mbps to any remote location globally, as long as its satellite dish has an unobstructed view of the sky. The service offers different kit options, including Standard for residential users and everyday internet applications like streaming and video calls, and High Performance for power users, businesses, and enterprises. The High Performance kit offers better speeds in high-temperature environments, improved satellite connectivity, and increased resilience in extreme conditions.
The Starlink service has proven to be useful for communities in Kenya. The Impact Africa Network non-profit organization, shared a video thanking the company for providing Starlink hardware to support creators at the LaunchPad Innovation Center that supports talented people by providing the tools they need to succeed, see video clips linked below.
With President Ruto's call for collaboration and the potential for reduced internet costs, Kenyan citizens may soon benefit from improved internet accessibility and connectivity in the digital age.
Our connection to the future is now faster and stronger than ever. Seamless collaboration and limitless possibilities await. #ImpactAfricaNetwork #Starlink
— ImpactAfricaNetwork (@IANetworkTweets) August 16, 2023
Thread 2/2 pic.twitter.com/Hpf5ZhNXiG
An insightful day at @SpaceX, understanding the transformative power of @Starlink. Thank you @elonmusk for your vision and commitment to global connectivity. Encouraged to see the collaboration with Kenya's @karibu_connect. Together, we are on the cusp of a more connected and…
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) September 17, 2023
》 Author's note: My work is possible Thanks to everyone who reads Tesmanian.com. Write your thoughts in the comment section below. If you have any news tips, story suggestions or feedback, send me a Direct Message on X.com (social media): Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo @JaneidyEve Read my most recent stories here: Recent News Stories 《
Featured Image Source: Kenya President William Samoei Ruto via X.com
About the Author
Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
Evelyn J. Arevalo joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover news as a Space Journalist and SpaceX Starbase Texas Correspondent. Evelyn is specialized in rocketry and space exploration. The main topics she covers are SpaceX and NASA.
