Safaricom and Huawei launch FTTR for home broadband networks

Details: John Tanner; Category: Optical & Fixed Networks; 07 May 2026; 422 views

Kenyan telco Safaricom says it has launched what it claims is Kenya’s first fibre to the room (FTTR) solution for home broadband networks in partnership with Huawei.

The new FTTR offering, announced on Monday, extends fibre-level connectivity throughout the home, with each room equipped with its own optical access point. Safaricom said this ensures consistent speeds, near zero latency, and seamless coverage without dead zones or signal loss.

The FTTR solution also features AI-powered network monitoring and self-adjustment for intelligent optimization, and can be seamlessly integrated with existing smart home technologies.

Safaricom is pitching the service as a vast improvement over using a single router for Wi Fi distribution, which are increasingly insufficient to handle evolving user demands as users connect more devices to their home networks running high bandwidth apps like gaming and video calls.

“Today’s homes demand more than just connectivity; they require an always on digital ecosystem,” said Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa in a statement. “Through our partnership with Huawei, we are delivering a truly immersive connected home experience that meets the evolving needs of modern households.”

The FTTR offering follows Safaricom’s announcement last week that it would more than double the speeds of most of its fibre broadband services, with the minimum fibre connectivity package upgraded from 5 Mbps to 15 Mbps, with no change in pricing.

The exceptions include its Diamond and Platinum packages, which remain at 500 Mbps and 1 Gbps respectively, as well as its Wi-Fi Bamba 5 Mbps service for affordable housing projects, which remains at 10 Mbps.

Safaricom’s Home Fibre service covers over 800,000 homes.