The Nairobi POP not only enhances service quality for local Starlink users but is also expected to stimulate competition among local broadband providers, potentially resulting in lower prices.

Experts emphasize that ground infrastructure is becoming increasingly crucial for improving the performance of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service.

Recent expansions also include new POPs in Mexico and Calgary, Canada, although the Calgary facility is not yet processing user traffic.

As Starlink's user base continues to grow, now exceeding 4.6 million active users, the company is focusing on expanding its presence in international markets, particularly in Africa where demand is rapidly increasing.

The improvement in latency for African users is attributed to routing traffic through the new ground facility in Nairobi rather than deploying additional satellites.

Reports indicate that latency in Kenya specifically fell from 120 milliseconds to just 26 milliseconds following the activation of the Nairobi POP.

SpaceX has been actively expanding its global network, increasing the number of POPs from 7 in the US in 2023 to 13 in 2024, and now totaling 37 POPs worldwide.

Prior to the Nairobi launch, Starlink had 33 active POPs primarily in North America, serving approximately 1.95 million users.

Starlink has launched a new 'point of presence' (POP) in Nairobi, Kenya, which has dramatically reduced latency for users in Africa to approximately 30 milliseconds, a significant improvement from the previous range of 100-200 milliseconds.

Before the establishment of the Nairobi facility, East African users were reliant on a single POP in Lagos, Nigeria, which resulted in high latencies due to connections being routed through Europe.

The establishment of more POPs, like the one in Nairobi, helps alleviate congestion by providing local access to the internet, thus improving overall service quality.

Building POPs closer to users allows for faster data transmission from orbiting satellites, which is essential for reducing latency.