NAIROBI, Aug 23 Reuters Kenya39;s biggest telecoms company Safaricom has urged regulators to consider requiring satellite internet providers such as Elon Musk39;s Starlink to partner with local mobile network operators.

Starlink, a unit of SpaceX, operates in several African countries but has faced regulatory challenges registering in others. It launched in Kenya in July last year.

The company has since rolled out increasingly competitive pricing options and plans that allow Kenyans to rent the required hardware rather than having to purchase it for more than 350.

Safaricom, which is owned by the Kenyan government, Britain39;s Vodafone and South Africa39;s Vodacom wrote to the Communications Authority of Kenya39;s directorgeneral last month to express concerns about the granting of independent licenses to satellite internet providers.

The letter was shared with Reuters by Safaricom after part of it began to circulate on social media.

Satellite coverage inherently spans multiple territorial borders and in doing so has the potential to illegally provide services and cause harmful interference within the territorial borders of the Republic of Kenya, the letter said.

It called on the Communications Authority to consider requiring satellite providers to operate as infrastructure providers to mobile network operators like Safaricom. It said this would ensure providers invest in Kenya, employ local people and comply with Kenya laws.

The CA39;s directorgeneral, David…