Battle of the Broadband Giants: Safaricom Home Fibre vs Zuku in 2024
BroadBand Giants:Safaricom Home Fibre vs Zuku in 2024
In 2009 a wave of excitement swept across Kenya as the fibre optic arrived. Spanning a distance of 4,500 kilometers, it established a digital bridge between Mombasa and Furjah in the United Arab Emirates.
Today, Safaricom and Zuku stand at the forefront of Kenya's internet scene offering impressive speeds at affordable speeds thereby transforming the digital landscape in the country.
Zuku used to have the most customers, with Safaricom, just behind, but now according to the communication authority of Kenya, Safaricom is in the lead for fixed data services. They have 427,003 using their data services which is 36.2 percent of all users, Jamii telcom is second with 279,076 users, and Zuku is now third with 253,966 users making up 23.7 percent in the market and the competition is just heating up in the market.
In recent years, the demand for affordable and reliable internet has been on the rise in the country, largely due to the increased number of devices that support digital media. Additionally, CGTN reported that there was a 5.1% increase in internet subscriptions between April and June 2020, which is attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The latest report from the Communication Authority of Kenya shows that the number of subscriptions increased from 38.9 million to 40.9 million in the quarter ending in June.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, video conferencing became a popular tool for remote work and online classes.
There are two major internet providers in the country: Safaricom Home Fiber and Zuku Fiber. In this article, we will focus on these two providers.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Coverage
Safaricom is the top internet provider in Kenya and also boasts the widest coverage across the country. It provides services in more than 10 counties. On the other hand, Zuku serves only four counties. Interestingly both Safaricom and Zuku offer the same number of internet packages at the same price in each location they cover.
Safaricom has recently expanded its internet connectivity by adding 14,000 kilometers of fiber optic network in 2023, which is a 28.7 percent increase compared to the 10,880 kilometers they had in 2022. Meanwhile, Zuku has also shown its commitment to expanding its reach.
In 2020, Zuku raised KES 12 billion for expansion and aims to invest in fiber optic infrastructure in areas like Kitengela, with a focus on developing Konza Techno City. According to a statement by Mr. Richard Bell, Zuku already has a presence in parts of Nairobi and Mombasa. can be attributed to the high demand for broadband.
Packages and Pricing
The two internet service providers offer affordable internet packages, but Zukus' packages are cheaper than Safaricom's. When Safaricom Fibre was introduced in my area, the prices were very affordable. For example, the cheapest package was 5Mbps for KES 2,500, which was quite reasonable. However, over time, Safaricom has increased the prices of its packages.
Table showing features and details of internet packages offered by Safaricom fibre and Zuku fibre
Table providing information on data caps and peak usage hours of Safaricom fibre and Zuku fibre
After analyzing the information, we can see that Zuku offers value packages ranging from basic to premium, while Safaricom's prices are slightly higher across the board.
Service Quality
While both internet service providers deliver commendable services, Zuku faced a significant challenge with its internet stability not too long ago. Customers expressed their dissatisfaction recounting instances where they endured a whole week without WIFI access despite having paid for the service, this was particularly frustrating for them.
A notable incident occurred in January 2023 when zuku suffered a service disruption that left users puzzled and inconvenienced some users even reporting experiencing extremely low internet speeds, as dismal as 0.5Mbps
Despite experiencing these disruptions, the company did not issue any formal communication. There were allegations that it had shut down its customer service center presumably overwhelmed by the increase of calls triggered by the outage. This lack of communication further exacerbated the situation, leaving customers in the dark and heightening their frustrations.
The narrative is quite different when it comes it comes to Safaricom home fiber. I can only recall only one instance which occurred in April 2020. However unlike Zuku Safaricom promptly addressed the issue on social media and issued an apology for the inconvenience.
This gesture was well-received by many as the company worked diligently to rectify the problem. Furthermore, they were responsive to customer inquiries and offered alternative solutions during the downtime. As a regular user of their internet services, I can attest to the excellence of their technical support team. Their commitment to customer service is truly commendable.
There was an instance when I desired an upgrade for my router as the one I had only supported the 2.4GHz band, and I was keen on acquiring one with dual-band capabilities.
My interaction with their customer support was different. I simply placed a call and explained my requirements, and by 9.00am the next day a new router was delivered right to my doorstep. Their team even assisted me with their setup process. I was genuinely impressed with the level of customer service they provided and their commitment to customer satisfaction was truly noteworthy.
Additional Features
Both of these competitors offer a variety of additional features. Zuku, for instance, provides a triple-play package. This means that customers receive a complimentary modem and digital decoder that grants access to up to 60 local and international TV channels.
Furthermore, they offer free calls between Zuku users, a handset priced at KES 1,500, and complimentary emergency police calls. These benefits are available across all Triple-play their plans enhancing the value propositions for their customers.
With Safaricom, the experience is a bit different. Upon establishing a connection with the network you become eligible for KES 3,000. This reward is split into two installments of KES 1,500 each given after you have successfully renewed your plans for three consecutive months.
For example, if your connection period concludes in January, you will receive the first half of the KES 3,000 reward in April followed by the second half at the end of June
It's important to highlight that if your account becomes inactive at any time during this period, you will unfortunately lose eligibility for the reward.
Safaricom offers add-ons such as a smart TV box that can enhance your television viewing experience by connecting to the internet. This box offers several features beyond regular TV, including streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, all in 4K.
It also supports 2.4GHz/5GHz bands, has 8GB of storage for downloading your favorite movies, includes two USB ports, and supports big-screen games optimized for TV screens.
The other add-on is the home CCTV camera which means they can help you set up and connect the closed-circuit television (CCTV). Safaricom can help you handle the installation and setup of the CCTV eventually simplifying the process and With the Safaricom Home CCTV, anyone is eligible also if you want to buy the Safaricom Home CCTV it is available in all Safaricom shops or you can order from its online store at Masoko.
According to Safaricom, the Home CCTV is an on-time payment and afterward, it's free. However, some people might have some concerns about Home CCTV, before rushing to buy the CCTV ask yourself,
- Are you comfortable with your ISP handling your CCTV systems and data?
- Can you find similar CCTV elsewhere at a similar and comparable price?
- Do you need a CCTV for your home?What are your security concerns?
- What features are important to you in a CCTV?
The final add-on is home insurance which is designed to give you an annual plan insurance package. Safaricom also provides an option to pay for your premium package monthly. The plans include Hero, Pro Guard, and Fortified Guard
Table showing features and details of home insurance packages
Both services offer unique features. However, it all depends on your preference. If you want to receive cash rewards as you renew your plan, then Safaricom is the better choice. On the other hand, Zuku offers a digital TV decoder and a modem, which I think is aimed at specific users.
Target Audience and Specific Needs
Both Zuku and Safaricom offer packages for their ideal customers. If you are looking for a cheaper option, Zuku might be a good fit for you. However, Safaricom has slightly higher prices.
In terms of location, both service providers cover major towns, but Safaricom has a wider geographical area compared to Zuku. Therefore, there are higher chances that Safaricom is near you, including some rural areas such as Nyeri.
As per Uswitch, the fair usage policy is implemented to restrict the bandwidth of one user over others during high-traffic periods, thereby ensuring the overall group performance remains stable. Both these two internet service providers have implemented usage policies for data consumption.
This implies that the more you use your internet more likely your speed will downgraded during peak hours to ensure overall performance remains unaffected.
In 2021 Safricom made a well-received announcement about doubling their speeds. However, what wasn't revealed was that these announcements were accompanied by Fair Usage Policies. Consequently, the fibre-to-the-home was no longer unlimited
Under Safaricom's fair usage policy, different packages offering 10Mbps provide users with 500GB of data. Once this limit is reached the speed is reduced to unlimited 1Mbps. The silver package with a speed of 20Mbps comes with a 1TB of data limit after which the speed is reduced to 3Mbps.
The Gold package offers 40Mbps and also has a 1TB data limit with speed dropping to 1Mbps upon exhaustion. Lastly, the platinum package with speeds of up to 100Mbps provides 1TB of data, and upon exhaustion, the speed is also reduced to 3Mbps. These measure helps ensure equitably internet usage for all Safaricom customers
Safaricom's decision to introduce the Fair Usage Policy (FUP) sparked a fiery online discussion. The move was primarily driven by the need to curb the reselling of services, which violated Safaricom's terms of service. The implementation of FUP served as a solution to manage the issue.
Furthermore, Safaricom conducted data analysis and discovered that the average household did not exceed 300GB of data usage by the end of the month. Therefore the 500GB cap is nearly double the average monthly consumption. Importantly reaching the data cap does not necessitate renewal, users will still have access to the internet although at a significantly reduced speed.
Zuku has also implemented a Fair Usage Policy (FUP) that tracks the data consumption of each customer in megabytes. During periods of high demand, this policy adjusts the internet speed for those customers who have used substantial amounts of data on specific days and months. Notably, the data usage record for all users reset to zero at the start of each month
It's important to note that with both these Internet Service Providers (ISPs), exceeding your data limit does not result in disconnection, instead the internet speed is reduced but you can continue to access the internet.
There are other key internet providers in the Kenyan market, however, these are the ones which are the most common and reliable broadband companies in terms of internet speed, reliability, and customer service
Conclusion
As we conclude the internet landscape in kenya has undergone a tremendous transformation since the introduction of fibre optic in 2009 where Safaricom and Zuku emerged as key players.
The demand of affordable and reliable internet has also surged attributed in part to increase digital device usage by 5.1% rise in internet subscription during COVID-19 pandemic.
Safaricom's services appear to be more consistent with fewer reported disruptions while zuku faced challenges with internet stability and communication during outages.
The Fair Usage Policy (FUP) implemented by both ISPs aim to ensure equitable internet usage during high-traffic periods.Ultimately the choice between Safaricom and Zuku depends on individual preference , location , and specific needs.
