Satellite Networks

Is Amazon LEO about to take off in Nigeria?

Is Amazon LEO about to take off in Nigeria?

Nigeria has opened its satellite market to Amazon’s low Earth orbit offering, formerly known as Project Kuiper and now called Amazon LEO.

The country’s regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has granted the offering, branded since November 2025 as Amazon LEO, a seven-year landing permit, allowing the company to launch its satellite constellation over Nigerian territory in 2026.

The permit authorises Amazon LEO to provide fixed satellite broadband, mobile satellite services and connectivity for moving platforms such as ships and aircraft.

The approval also covers Ka-band frequencies, which support high-capacity, low-latency internet services.

The NCC has been quoted as saying that the decision reflects Nigeria's commitment to "promoting competition, innovation, and investment" in satellite communications while adhering to international regulatory standards.

Not too surprisingly, the regulator hopes that opening the market to multiple satellite operators will improve service quality and expand broadband access, particularly in underserved areas.

There are a number of other potential competitors launching or planning to launch satellites or services but, for now, LEO operator Starlink is the main player in the Nigerian market.

However, as news resource ITWeb Africa points out, Amazon’s entry introduces a rival with comparable scale, deep financial resources and global infrastructure.

Project Kuiper, as Amazon explains, was a code name; it was inspired by the Kuiper Belt, a ring of asteroids in our outer solar system.

Amazon LEO is now the permanent brand for the programme; it is described by Amazon as “a simple nod to the low Earth orbit satellite constellation that powers our network”.

Amazon LEO now has some 180 satellites in orbit supported by advanced customer terminals along with a growing number of customers and operator partners already signed up to deploy the service.



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