NAIROBI, Kenya, April 17 – Affordable internet provider Poa Internet is working with the authorities to arrest individuals who have been stealing internet machines from Nairobi residents.
In the last few months, the firm has received numerous cases from customers whose kits have been stolen their premises after installations.
Already, the tech company has collected enough evidence that will see culprits face the law.
“Over the last few months, we have made significant progress with police and authorities in identifying the perpetrators of these crimes,” Poa said in a statement.
“We now have evidence pointing to the fact that this is a targeted and coordinated effort from external criminal elements who are determined to disrupt our services.”
Since entering the country in 2016, the internet has grown to become one of the largest internet providers in the country.
Its success stems from low internet monthly charges of Sh1,500, which are affordable to the poor.
Only last month, Poa ate into the market share of some of the biggest internet providers in the country, such as Zuku, among others.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) data showed that its fixed internet customer base rose from 106,571 between July and September 2022 to 120,168 between October and December last year.
It pushed its market share from 10.8 percent to 14.9 percent, representing 4.1 percent growth.
After raising $78 million (Sh3.1 billion) in new funding in January of last year, the company expanded to Kajiado County.
Some of the areas it expanded to were Ongata Rongai, Ngong, Donholm, and Fedha, among others.
To reduce thuggery, it urges customers to properly frisk those entering their premises.
“We recommend always checking ID badges (which will display a photo of the person attending), and always ensuring the representative is suitably dressed in poa! branded clothing,” it said.
“If suspicious, we recommend contacting poa! Customer Service for clarification before allowing any access, while also confirming the representative quote the ticket number given by the Customer Service team when the enquiry was raised.”
