NAIROBI, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Kenya's biggest telecoms

company Safaricom has urged regulators to consider

requiring satellite internet providers such as Elon Musk'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,

Britain's Vodafone ( VOD ) and South Africa's Vodacom

wrote to the Communications Authority of Kenya's

director-general 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 CA's director-general, David Mugonyi, and Starlink did

not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Starlink operates in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Mozambique, Malawi,

Madagascar, Benin, South Sudan, Eswatini and Sierra Leone.

Earlier this year, Cameroon ordered the seizure of Starlink

equipment at ports as the provider was not licensed.