Telkom Kenya brief history.(When started, market share, services and products)

Telkom Kenya is the third largest telecommunications provider in Kenya with a market share of about 8.9% and over 3.7 million subscribers. The market leader being Safaricom PLC followed at a distance by Airtel Kenya.
Telkom is largely owned by Helios with 60% stake and the Kenyan government owns the remaining 40%.
Telkom Kenya facts and contacts.

• Head Quarters: Nairobi Kenya.
• Head office: Telkom Plaza- Ralph Bunche Road
• Phone: 0800 200000/ 0204600200
• Customer care: customercare@telkom.co.ke
• Board chair: Mr.Eddy Njoroge
• C.E.O: Mugo Kibati.

Telkom Kenya History.
Telkom was part of Kenya Postal and Telecommunications Company(KPTC) which was initially part of East Africa Posts and Telecommunications Company.
KPTC was the sole provider of postal and telecommunications services until 1998.
As a result of the enactment of the Kenya Information and Communications Act of 1998, Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Limited was split into three distinct entities namely:

• The Communications Commission Of Kenya (CCK) charged with the responsibility of licensing and regulating telecommunications, media and postal/courier services in the country.
• Postal Cooperation Of Kenya with the sole purpose of providing postal services.
• Telkom Kenya Limited  to provide telecommunications services.

Telkom was the sole provider of telecommunications services in Kenya through its fixed line connections till the entry of other providers namely Safaricom and Kencell

Safaricom was statrted in 1993 as part of Telkom kenya and was awarded a 15 year licence to operate in 1999. In 2001 Kencell joined in the Kenyan telecommunications market after being awarded the licence.

The entrance of the two companies saw a dramatic increase in mobile phone usage and as at 2001 it was estimated that mobile phone subscribers were twice that of landlines.

With the advantages of mobile phones much autwheighing those of the landline, many Kenyans embraced the new technology, and on its part Telkom had to endure a major setback due to massive vandalism of its telephone cables.

Telkom therefore had no choice but to also join the mobile phone race, and was awarded a license in 2007 to provide mobile telephone services under it's brand name 'Orange Kenya'

After years of facing stiff competition especially from the market giant Safaricom, Telkom took over Orenge Kenya in 2007 and rebranded in order to stay relevant and competitive in the Kenyan Telecommunications market, and I think so far so good.
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Telkom Kenya Ownership.

From the brief history discussed above, it is Clear that Telkom was fully owned by the Kenyan Government, till november 2007. But  after the  government proposed a private public ownership deal, France telecom acquired 51% of Telkom Kenya shares while the government of Kenya retained 49%.
This saw the launch of Orange Kenya which provided various telecommunications services in the country, but was famous for its unlimited broadband bundles.

In 2013, France telecom increased its stake to 70%, after G.O.K surrendered its 10% share to ease Telkom debt.

In 2006, a deal was reached that saw Helios Investment Partners buy 60% shares from France telecom. G.O.K got the remaining 10% and its share increased to 40%.
Telkom Market Share.
Since Rebranding from orange, Telkom has seen a significant increase in it's subscriber base, with the latest data from Communications Authority showing that Telkom's market share is at 8.8% an increase from 7.2 the same period last year.
As of October 2018, Telkom had almost 4 million active subscribers and around 63,000 registered T-Kash users.
T-Kash is a mobile transfer services owned and operated by Telkom Kenya, with others being Airtel Money and Safaricom M-pesa.
When Telkom took over from orange, it first took of orange money, and later rebranded to T-Kash.
In order to remain competitive in the sector, Telkom has great products geared towards giving their customers the best value for their money.
Telkom also rolled a country wide 3G network and was the second telco in the country to roll out 4G LTE.
It also has relatively cheap user friendly data bundles, but they still have a challenge in network coverage, with 4G available in view towns only.
Telkom Kenya has shares in various fibre optic networks, including  East African marine system(TEAMS) which is a 5,000 km undersea fibre cable linking Kenya with UAE. TEAMS also serves other East African countries which are Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
Telkom Kenya also has a stake in LION II, which is part of the Lower Indian Ocean Network.
LION II, which was launched in  April 2012, connects Madagascar, marotte and Kenya through a landing point in Mombasa.
Telkom Kenya also manages the Government's National Optic Fibre Backbone.
Telkom Kenya Products and services.
In order to remain relevant in the country's competitive telecommunications market, Telkom has come up with various products and services, some which are among the best in the country.
With it's advantage of vast infrastructure and it's strategic investments in the submarine fibre network, Telkom Kenya provides various Government institutions, businesses and buildings with high speed data connectivity.
It also providers individuals with various voice and data services and products through Telkom Kenya.
Telkom Kenya together with Airtel akenya, have given Safaricom a lot of pressure, especially on the way data bundles are structured, forcing Safaricom to introduce the daily 1 GB giga bundle and lately free WhatsApp on purchase of any data bundle.
Some of the great Telkom Kenya products are:

1. Telkom Freedom Bundles. When a Telkom subscriber buys any Telkom data bundle, they enjoy various offers including free WhatsApp, SMS and free Telkom to Telkom calls. 
2. Telkom Niaje. This is a call subscription services which allows one to make free on net calls and call other networks at just Ksh.2 per minute.
3. Telkom Holla. This is an all inclusive product with data, SMS and call minutes all bundled together under a single purchase.
4.  Telkom Night owl. This offer gives Telkom customers 5 GB of high speed data from midnight to 6:00 A.m at just Ksh.39 Bob.