I Switched to Airtel ODU for 3 Months… Here’s Why I Miss My Safaricom Router
I have always been in the quest for a fast, stable, and affordable Wi-Fi, because some ISPs promise fast and stable speeds only for them to famble on their promise.
As I was doing my research, I came across the Safaricom 5G router, which was portable and had fast speeds. I gave it a try, and it worked like a champ.
Using the Safaricom router was honestly a great experience, but I had one major issue, and that was the price.
I was paying KES 3,000 for just 15 Mbps, and that started to feel a bit steep. So I began looking for a cheaper alternative, and that’s when I came across the Airtel ODU 5G router, which offers speeds similar to the Safaricom 5G router but at a much lower cost.
The thing is, after 3 months, I kinda started missing the Safaricom 5G router, which left some big shoes to fill. Let's dive straight into it.
What is the Airtel ODU?
The Airtel ODU is a high-gain, weather-resistant 4G/5G antenna placed outside homes and offices to provide enhanced internet speeds. It houses a SIM card and is connected to an indoor Wi-Fi router via an Ethernet cable.
In my experience, the installation was hassle-free. I visited an Airtel shop, and they took my details, including my location. I asked them if I could carry the ODU and do the installation myself, but they refused and insisted on a technician coming to my place.
Also, if you don’t want to visit an Airtel shop, you can visit the Airtel website and key in your details, and Airtel will contact you.
The installation process was straightforward. Two days after making my order of the ODU, I received a call from the Airtel technician. I gave him the directions to my place, and he was there in no time.
He came with the necessary tools, so you don’t need to provide any tools. The only thing that I provided was a ladder since the ODU needs to be set up somewhere high.
The technician did a very good job on the cabling, since the Ethernet cable is quite long, he folded it neatly.
It took an hour to set everything up. After paying, he tested the WI-FI speeds, and it worked really well.
Keep in mind you have to pay KES 3,000 for the package via Airtel money and installation, the ODU and the IDU is total free, and you should not pay the technician extra money unless you want to tip.
After just two days, I removed the ODU from where it was placed outside and brought it inside my office, and to my surprise, the WI-FI was actually very strong while it was inside my office. I guess it’s because I live near an Airtel mast tower, which is just a few metres away.
Anyway, the setup of the ODU is a bit messy in my office, not as clean as it was on the first day the technician did the installation. Oh, another thing, the whole package comes with a power bank, which can last anywhere between 6 and 8 hours, depending on the number of devices connected.
Read Also: Airtel 5G ODU Review: Is It Worth the Installation Hassle? (30-Day Test)
Months In: Performance, Speeds, and Reliability
The speeds have been good, though in some instances the speeds might drop from 15Mbps to around 10 Mbps, and to fix this issue of speeds dropping, all I needed to do was switch from 4G to 5G, and the speeds would get back to normal.
I had no issues while watching YouTube at 2k resolution or while watching Netflix.
The WI-FI is connected to six devices, and it works well, no issues there.
When there are heavy rains, the speeds are still good; sometimes the 5G connectivity can have poor speeds, and all I did was switch to 4G or auto, and the speeds would get back to normal.
One issue I had previously was the latency, and especially the upload speeds, which would average around 210, which is so high, but lately the latencies are averaging 40 on the download and 47 on the upload on the 5G connectivity, while on the 4G connectivity, the idle latency is 67 on the download and 68 on the upload.
I am not an avid gamer, but when playing games such as Call of Duty Mobile, I had no issues with the response time.
Why I Actually Miss My Safaricom 5G Router
I loved the Safaricom 5G router, and I still do love but I couldn’t keep up with the prices. The thing that I miss the most about it is its portability.
There are no cables; it is just a simple plug-and-play. As a matter of fact, when you visit the Safaricom shop and you register it, you get to walk away with the router; you don’t have to wait.
The other thing is the speeds. Safaricom has the best network in the country currently, and the 5G router did not even slow down one bit. I didn’t have to switch between 4G and 5G just to get the best speeds like on Airtel; it just worked as expected.
Because of its portability, I could easily put it in my bag and travel with it wherever I want. For one, it’s way less bulky than the Airtel ODU, and two, it just worked so well. However, the Safaricom Huawei router doesn't come with a router, but the one from Baicells comes with an in-built router that can last up to 3 hours.
Also, the router supports standalone 5G, meaning it operates independently of 4G infrastructure, utilizing a dedicated 5G core to enable superior performance, unlike the Airtel ODU, which has Non-Standalone, which are built on the existing 4G core infrastructure.
Managing the router is also straightforward on the Safaricom 5G router. Personally, I have the Huawei CPE 5G router, and I could manage the router settings via a dedicated Huawei app, but if you are using the Baicells router, you can manage the router settings via an IP address, which is 198.168.8.1.
Value for Money: Airtel Packages vs. Safaricom
To fully understand the monthly packages between Airtel and Safaricom, here is a breakdown of each and the fair usage policy.
| Feature | Airtel 5G ODU | Safaricom 5G Home Router |
|---|---|---|
| Speed Packages | 15 Mbps (KES 1,999) 30 Mbps (KES 2,999) |
15 Mbps (KES 2,999) 50 Mbps (KES 4,000) 100 Mbps (KES 5,000) 250 Mbps (KES 10,000) |
| Fair Usage Policy (FUP) | 1 TB on all plans (Throttled to 2 Mbps after) |
450 GB to 4 TB, depending on plan (E.g., 450GB for the 15Mbps plan) |
| Setup & Installation | Fixed outdoor installation (requires drilling and cabling) | Simple plug-and-play indoor setup |
| Portability | Moderate (temporarily mounted to the exterior wall/balcony) | High (easily moved between rooms or new apartments) |
| Weather Impact | Can experience slight latency spikes during heavy Nairobi rains | Unaffected by external weather conditions |
| Network Reliability | Occasional fluctuations based on cell tower load and distance | Highly consistent and stable for daily tasks |
| Best Suited For | Homes with thick walls/weak indoor signal but strong outdoor 5G | Renters, remote workers, and gamers prioritize strict uptime |
From the table above, Airtel offers only two packages: 15 Mbps and 30 Mbps, while Safaricom, on the other hand, offers four packages. Honestly, if you are someone who's exploring different packages depending on your workflow, the Safaricom 5G is the one for you, but if you are okay with 15Mbps or 30Mbps, go with Airtel.
Airtel caps its Fair Usage Policy at 1TB. Once you hit that limit, you’ll need to pay KES 1,000 for an extra 300GB, but here’s the catch: that top-up doesn’t reset your billing cycle. It expires on the same date as your original plan, even if you just bought it.
On the other hand, Safaricom's 15 Mbps FUP is only 450GB, and once that is depleted, the speeds will be throttled; the same will apply to the rest of the packages, so if you want more data, you have to pay for a higher package.
At the end of the day, Airtel is much more suitable with FUP, given that a lot of people are just regular users, and hitting 1TB, you have to be a gamer, or you stream a lot, or there are a lot of people using the WI-FI.
On the other hand, Safaricom gives you more options to deal with at your own convenience. Their base package doesn’t have the best FUP, but you can upgrade to a higher package with better FUP.
Read Also: Airtel 5G Outdoor Unit vs. Safaricom 5G Router: Why I Switched
The Final Verdict: Should You Make the Switch?
The Airtel 5G is for those with poor indoor reception but strong outside Airtel coverage. This is your best bet.
The Safaricom 5G router, on the other hand if for those who travel frequently and work in niche places like coffee shops, and for those who prioritise raw data stability over raw data volume.
Have you used Airtel or Safaricom routers? What’s your experience been like?
