Latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows that during the year, Zuku also ceded its position as the second largest operator in the fixed data market to Jamii Telecommunications Limited (JTL), after its (Zuku’s) subscriber numbers grew at a sluggish pace of 2.9 percent to add 7,285 users during the 12-month period.

Read: Jamii chips at Safaricom, Zuku fixed data market

The added numbers were dwarfed by small-time players such as Poa Internet and Mawingu Networks Limited, which added 48,701 and 8,035 subscribers respectively.

Market leader Safaricom improved slightly during the period from the 35.6 percentage market share it enjoyed at the close of September 2022, to 36.5 percent as of September this year. This is after it added 104,041 subscribers to its customer base.

JTL, on the other hand, increased its subscriber numbers by 82,029 users during the period, a development that thrusted it to the second position in the market with a 24.1 percentage share up from the 22.1 percent it enjoyed last year. 

Safaricom, JTL and Zuku dominate the country’s fixed data market, controlling up to 81.3 percent stake, with Poa Internet coming a distant fourth controlling 12.5 percent, up from 10.8 percent in September 2022.

Others that gained some additional piece of market share during the year include Mawingu, which moved from 1.5 percent to 1.8 percent, and Vilcom Network Limited which hit 0.9 percent market share up from 0.3 percent last year.

Losers included Liquid Telecommunications Kenya whose share dipped to 0.9 percent from 1.7 percent last year and Telkom Kenya Limited which dropped from 0.5 percentage share to 0.3 percent. 

Dimension Data Solutions East Africa Limited maintained its market share at 1.3 percent throughout the year while other unnamed providers gained marginally from 0.9 percent last year to 1.1 percent this year.

Zuku has for years been the closest rival to Safaricom with the two firms caught in pricing wars that have lowered the cost of fixed internet besides offering discounts on new connections.

Read: Zuku loses fibre market share as Safaricom gains

Safaricom first took the top spot in the quarter ending September 2019 from Zuku, but the latter reclaimed dominance in the subsequent quarter ending December 2019.

The leading telco, however, moved ahead once again by mid-2021, riding on aggressive marketing and pricing offers after the Covid-19 pandemic struck. By Kambui Mwangi, Business Daily