Kenya - Internet and Broadband Market - Overview, Statistics and Forecasts

Synopsis

The landing of three fibre-optic international submarine cables in Kenya, ending its dependency on limited and expensive satellite bandwidth, has revolutionised the country’s internet and broadband sector. Kenya's international internet bandwidth increased more than eleven-fold in 2011. Wholesale prices have fallen by more than 90%, finally taking the internet to the mass market.

Companies that started out as ISPs – such as AccessKenya, Kenya Data Networks and Wananchi – are transforming themselves into second-tier telecom companies by rolling out national and metropolitan fibre backbones and wireless broadband access networks, offering converged voice, data and video/entertainment services. At least six major deployments of WiMAX technology are underway, and third generation (3G) mobile broadband services have been launched. Advanced services such as IPTV/triple-play, e-commerce, e-learning and e-government are now rapidly evolving. In addition, with its new majority shareholder France Telecom, Telkom Kenya has embarked on a strategy to transform itself into a broadband connectivity provider under the Orange brand.

This report contains an overview and analysis of Kenya’s internet and broadband market, its emerging digital economy, profiles of the major players, relevant statistics, analysis, and internet user forecasts for 2013 and 2016.

Companies covered in this report:

• Telkom Kenya (Orange, France Telecom);
• Kenya Data Networks (KDN);
• Jamii Telecom;
• SimbaNet;
• Africa Online (Telkom SA);
• Access Kenya;
• Wananchi Online;
• MTN Business Kenya (UUNet);
• Swift Global;
• Internet Solutions Kenya (InterConnect);
• Safaricom (IGO Wireless, OneCom);
• Gilat Satellite Networks;
• Afsat Communications;
• Inmarsat;
• Indigo Telecom (Thuraya);
• Nation TV (NTV);
• KenTV.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Internet market
  • 2.1 Overview
    • 2.1.1 Internet statistics
  • 2.2 Limited availability of PCs
  • 2.3 Public internet access locations
    • 2.3.1 Digital Villages
  • 2.4 Internet backbone infrastructure
    • 2.4.1 Telkom Kenya, JamboNet
    • 2.4.2 Additional international data carrier licences
    • 2.4.3 Public data network operators (PDNO)
    • 2.4.4 Unified licensing regime since 2008
    • 2.4.5 National fibre backbone networks
    • 2.4.6 International fibre, internet bandwidth
  • 2.5 Internet exchange points (IXP)
  • 2.6 Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC)
• 3. ISP market
  • 3.1 Africa Online Kenya
    • 3.1.1 Takeover by Telkom SA
  • 3.2 AccessKenya
  • 3.3 Wananchi Online
  • 3.4 MTN Business Kenya (formerly UUNet)
  • 3.5 Swift Global
  • 3.6 InterConnect, Internet Solutions Kenya
  • 3.7 Orange Kenya (Telkom)
• 4. Broadband market
  • 4.1 Overview
  • 4.2 ADSL
    • 4.2.1 ADSL2
  • 4.3 Wireless broadband
    • 4.3.1 WiFi
    • 4.3.2 WiMAX
    • 4.3.3 Mobile data services
  • 4.4 Broadband via satellite
  • 4.5 Leased lines
  • 4.6 Fibre to the Home (FttH)
• 5. Digital economy
  • 5.1 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony
    • 5.1.1 New VoIP guidelines 2005
    • 5.1.2 VoIP licences
  • 5.2 IPTV, triple play
  • 5.3 Internet TV
  • 5.4 Digital TV
  • 5.5 E-learning
    • 5.5.1 National research and education network (NREN)
  • 5.6 E-commerce
  • 5.7 E-government
  • 5.8 Blogs
  • 5.9 Facebook
• 6. Forecasts
  • 6.1 Forecast internet users – 2013; 2016
  • 6.2 Notes on scenario forecasts
• 7. Related reports

• Table 1 – Internet users and penetration rate – 1999 - 2012
• Table 2 – Internet/data subscriptions by technology and annual growth – December 2011
• Table 3 – Internet subscribers by operator and market share – December 2011
• Table 4 – AccessKenya corporate leased-line customers – 2006 – 2011
• Table 5 – Forecast internet users – 2013; 2016

• Chart 1 - Internet users and penetration rate – 1999 - 2012