As of Q1 2015, Zuku had a market share of 46.8 percent in the fixed-internet market in Kenya. Fast forward to today and most Kenyans are always complaining of Zuku’s slow internet speeds. Well, Wananchi Group, the company behind Zuku announced that they have branched out to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania, two years after the company showed interest in expanding into the East African market.
Going by the name Zuku Fire, Zuku claims that speeds will go up to 100Mbps and the service will be distributed through Zuku’s fibre network. Zuku Fire will be a Triple Play service, thus delivering internet, digital TV services and telephone services through a single cable.
Speaking during the launch, Wananchi Group Chief Executive Officer, Thomus Hintze said, “The service is designed to meet customer needs through online content such as short videos, movies though one package. Reports show that data consumption in Tanzania is three times higher than in Swaziland and that is why we have come up with the service to make life easier.”
Zuku Fire will be available in Msasani, Mikocheni, Kawe, Mbezi Beach, Upanga suburbs and the central business district of Dar Es Salaam. According to Mr Hintze, the service will be rolled out to other regions including Dodoma, Mwanza and Arusha depending on demand.
Last month, Zuku revised their internet offerings in Kenya, which saw the company raise their prices slightly as well as increase their bandwidth offerings for the respective packages. Zuku’s expansion comes at a time when Safaricom’s FTTH is seriously making strides in capturing a big slice of the fixed internet market in Kenya, having already connected over 81000 homes as of September 1, 2017.
