Safaricom, Kenya’s biggest telco, has introduced a new product that could reshape how customers pay for mobile internet. The product, called B-Live and launched on Wednesday, allows users to buy data by the hour instead of the traditional megabyte or gigabyte bundles.
Prices range from KES 20 ($0.16) for 1 hour to KES 150 ($1.16) for six hours, with usage tied strictly to time, and not data volume.
The move marks Safaricom’s boldest attempt yet to tackle long-running customer frustration over data bundles depleting too fast. For years, Kenyans have complained that their mobile data disappears unpredictably, despite the operator’s efforts to explain usage patterns and roll out a wide range of bundle options. By shifting the unit of consumption from volume to time, Safaricom is betting it can restore predictability, promising customers clarity over costs whether they’re streaming, scrolling, or downloading.
The new product, tested since July, also comes with restrictions. Safaricom has disabled hotspotting, and a fair-usage policy means heavy users may see speeds throttled if they cross undisclosed thresholds—an approach Safaricom has previously applied to its fibre and 5G Wi-Fi services. Without transparency, the risk is that the same “fast depletion” complaints resurface in a different form.
No other Kenyan operator currently offers a fully time-based mobile data product of this scale. Airtel Kenya, Telkom Kenya, and Faiba price bundles are cheaper per GB, but all remain volume-based. Airtel’s hourly bundles, for instance, are capped by data, while Faiba’s self-care menu shows no uncapped time-based sessions.
Safaricom, by contrast, has leaned on its infrastructure advantage. Its 4G network covers about 96% of the country, more than any rival. Safaricom has also expanded 5G coverage beyond major cities into rural areas, while Airtel’s 5G remains concentrated in towns. That reach matters for time-based products, which depend on stable, high-quality connections to deliver value.
Safaricom has spent years tuning its networks, adding spectrum at 700 and 900 MHz, densifying 4G sites, and testing 5G network slicing. These investments strengthen the case for B-Live, but they also raise expectations about whether the new product will finally ease data depletion anxiety.
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