Safaricom has launched Family Share, a set of bundles that combine its Home Fibre internet with a shared pool of mobile data or voice minutes that a subscriber can split with up to five family members, all on a single monthly bill.

The telco says the product, unveiled on Monday, is open to both new and existing Home Fibre customers as well as those on its 4G and 5G home Wi-Fi plans. It is being marketed under the company's "Pata More" campaign, which earlier saw Home Fibre speeds raised at no extra cost.

What the plans cost

Safaricom has set four tiers, according to details published by the company and reported by Techweez, Tech-ish and TechMoran:

  • Bronze, Sh3,749 a month: 40Mbps fibre with 750 minutes or 14GB to share
  • Silver, Sh5,100 a month: 60Mbps with 1,000 minutes or 21GB
  • Gold, Sh7,799 a month: 150Mbps with 1,500 minutes or 33GB
  • Diamond, Sh13,999 a month: 500Mbps with 1,500 minutes or 33GB

Tech-ish reports that the shared mobile allowance on each plan is either voice or data, not both, meaning a family must choose which one to pool. On the entry plan, the outlet notes, the cost works out to the existing Sh2,999 fibre package plus Sh750 for the shared bundle.

The jump from Gold to Diamond, at Sh6,200, buys only faster fibre, since the mobile allowance stays the same.

Chasing the connected home

Safaricom's Chief Consumer Business Officer Fawzia Ali said households want more value without added complexity, noting that family members work, learn and travel in different places but still want to stay connected under one account.

The launch is part of a wider push by the operator to lock in home broadband customers as competition in fixed internet heats up from Airtel, Zuku, Faiba and a growing number of smaller fibre providers. Safaricom has reported a 27 per cent rise in active fibre-to-the-home customers, with the share of connected homes holding an active subscription rising from 66.8 per cent to 71 per cent.

Bundling fixed and mobile services, often called convergence, is a common strategy among telcos worldwide because customers who take several services from one provider are less likely to switch.

How to sign up and the catch

Customers can join through the My OneApp, by dialling *400#, or at Safaricom shops and authorised dealers.

Reviewers have pointed out one drawback: because the shared bundle is attached to the fibre account, cancelling or suspending Home Fibre means the linked phones also lose their monthly allowance. Safaricom has also not publicly detailed whether unused allowances roll over or expire at the end of each month.

Photos: TechMoran; Techweez. Logo: Safaricom. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.