1k plan drops from 45GB to 22GB: Airtel cuts data on 4 bundles by over half

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Airtel Kenya quietly reduced data allocations across all four Smarta prepaid bundles

- The KSh 1,500 monthly Smarta bundle took the steepest hit, losing 58GB of data and 80% of its SMS allocation

- Both weekly Smarta plans lost exactly half their data, while on-net call minutes dropped by as much as 77%

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Airtel Kenya has cut the data allowances on all four of its Smarta prepaid bundles effective August 18, 2026, without adjusting any of the prices customers already pay.

Smarta is Airtel Kenya's flagship prepaid product, launched in February 2025.

Each bundle combines mobile data, call minutes, SMS, and a cashback benefit on Airtel Money transaction fees.

How much data have Airtel subscribers lost?

The most severe reduction, shared on Airtel's website, falls on the KSh 1,500 monthly plan, which dropped from 90GB to 32GB, stripping away 58GB, a cut of 64.4%.

The KSh 1,000 monthly plan lost 23GB, falling from 45GB to 22GB, a reduction of 51.1%.

Subscribers on the two weekly plans also took significant hits: the KSh 500 bundle was cut from 14GB to 7GB, and the KSh 300 bundle from 7GB to 3GB, both losing exactly half their data allocation.

Were Airtel minutes and SMS affected?

Beyond data, the changes reach into other components of the Smarta bundles.

On-net minutes suffered the sharpest declines, with the KSh 1,000 monthly plan dropping from 3,000 to 700 minutes, a reduction of 76.7%, and the KSh 1,500 plan falling from 3,000 to 1,000 minutes, down 66.7%.

All-network minutes were less affected, with the two weekly bundles retaining their original allocation, while the monthly plans recorded cuts of 25% and 22.2% respectively.

SMS allocations on the KSh 1,500 plan also saw a steep reduction, falling from 5,000 to 1,000 messages, an 80% cut.

The pattern across all four bundles shows that higher-value monthly plans absorbed the most significant losses, with the Smarta 1,500 subscribers receiving considerably less value for the same monthly spend they committed to when the product was introduced.

Which plan did Starlink introduce?

For Kenyan homes, Starlink unveiled a new, more affordable internet plan that starts at KSh 4,000 per month.

Elon Musk's satellite internet startup also provides a regular residential package that costs KSh 6,500 per month.

It offers download speeds of up to 200 Mbps.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.