Safaricom chief executive Bob Collymore. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Safaricom has created a department charged with connecting residential houses to its fibre Internet.
Chief
executive Bob Collymore said at an investor briefing on Wednesday that
the Home department would deliver fibre and other technologies to
subscribers’ houses across the country.
“Our customers’ needs are changing. Demand will shift to more sophisticated use,” said Mr Collymore.
The
telco said that it had passed its fibre infrastructure by 53,000 homes.
The company is hoping to encourage customers to use more data through
value-added services and smart home technologies.
Smart
home technologies include household appliances that are often connected
to the Internet and can be controlled remotely via a phone or computer.
While
these devices are yet to catch on in Kenya, technology firms in the
West are betting that their growth will come from smart personal
assistants, such as Amazon’s Alexa, and Internet-enabled smoke
detectors, light bulbs or tea kettles.
Safaricom has
over the past few years been making strides into Kenya’s living rooms,
expanding its presence beyond the mobile phone.
The company in 2015 launched its Internet enabled set
top box, The Big Box. It has also signed deals with video streaming
services such as Showmax and Kwesé.
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