Amazon’s Project Kuiper has received formal clearance from Nigeria’s Communications Commission (NCC) to operate its satellite internet services in the country.
The permit allows Kuiper to deploy its network as part of a global constellation of up to 3,236 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, as Nigeria opens its market to serious new competition in satellite broadband.
The approval gives Amazon legal ground to invest in infrastructure, enterprise partnerships, and consumer services. It also strengthens competition with Starlink, which currently holds a first-mover advantage in Nigeria with over 66,000 subscribers.
The NCC described the decision as aligning with global best practices and part of Nigeria’s strategy to modernise its connectivity landscape.
Kuiper’s Nigerian operations will include three service categories: Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) for homes, businesses, and government offices; Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) for portable and emergency communications; and Earth Stations at Sea (ESAS) for moving platforms like aircraft, ships, and vehicles.
“We don’t have any information to share beyond what is publicly available at this time, but we’ll sure be in touch if we announce anything,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a recent email.
The network will operate in the Ka-band, a high-frequency range capable of handling far more data than older C- or Ku-band satellites.
This translates into faster speeds, lower latency, and multi-gigabit traffic for users, though tropical weather can disrupt signals, a challenge mitigated by Kuiper’s adaptive routing across satellites.
The seven-year landing permit also grants 100 MHz of bandwidth per channel, enabling reliable speeds of up to 400 Mbps while keeping customer terminals affordable.
Nigeria represents a huge opportunity for Kuiper. With over 23 million residents in underserved areas and mobile broadband penetration around 50%, satellite internet could provide homes, businesses, and remote industrial sites with connectivity that fibre and mobile networks cannot efficiently reach.
Enterprises could use Kuiper for telecom backhaul, oil and gas operations, ports, and logistics corridors.
The entry of Kuiper sets up a confrontation with Starlink. Amazon’s strengths in logistics, cloud integration, and pricing power could differentiate Kuiper, especially when combined with Amazon Web Services for enterprise and government clients.
This could change the Nigerian LEO broadband market, pushing competitors to improve coverage, reliability, and pricing.
Amazon has pledged $10 billion globally to build the Kuiper network. By late 2025, the project had launched its first test satellites and signed a strategic partnership with Vanu Inc. to extend rural connectivity in Southern Africa.
Nigeria’s approval places the country among the first major African markets officially welcoming Kuiper, pointing to growth in the continent’s satellite broadband sector.
This competition promises faster internet, broader coverage, and more resilient connectivity for consumers and businesses in Nigeria.
