Starlink Faces Major Challenge as Amazon Kuiper Secures NCC Licence

Nigeria’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet market is set for intensified competition following the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) approval of Internet Service Provider (ISP) and International Data Access (IDA) licences for Amazon’s Project Kuiper.

The five-year ISP licence and 10-year IDA licence position Amazon Kuiper as a direct rival to Starlink, which has dominated Nigeria’s LEO satellite broadband segment since its market entry.

This move aligns with Nigeria’s broader strategy to expand digital connectivity, deepen broadband penetration, and attract next-generation technology investments.

According to the NCC, the authorisation underscores Nigeria’s openness to global satellite broadband providers and responds to growing demand for high-speed internet, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.

What the NCC approval means

The NCC disclosed that the licence allows Amazon Kuiper to operate its space segment in Nigeria as part of a global LEO constellation of up to 3,236 satellites.

Under the approval, Amazon Kuiper is authorised to provide:

Fixed Satellite Services (FSS)

Mobile Satellite Services (MSS)

Earth Stations in Motion (ESIM)

This enables Kuiper to deliver broadband connectivity to homes and businesses while supporting mobility use cases across aviation, maritime transport, logistics corridors, and critical national infrastructure.

The approval also includes access to Ka-band spectrum, which supports high-capacity data transmission. Amazon is targeting broadband speeds of up to 400 Mbps using 100 MHz channels, while keeping terminal costs low enough to encourage mass-market adoption.

Pressure mounts on Starlink’s dominance

Until now, Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has enjoyed a strong first-mover advantage in Nigeria’s LEO satellite internet market. Industry estimates place Starlink’s Nigerian subscriber base at over 66,000 users, making Nigeria one of its fastest-growing markets globally.

Amazon Kuiper’s entry introduces competition between two global technology giants with deep financial resources and advanced satellite infrastructure. Analysts expect this rivalry to influence pricing, service quality, customer acquisition strategies, and geographic coverage—potentially delivering better value for consumers and businesses.

Why Nigeria is strategic for Amazon Kuiper

Nigeria remains one of Africa’s most important broadband markets, with a population exceeding 200 million and significant connectivity gaps. NCC data shows that more than 23 million Nigerians live in unserved or underserved areas, while mobile broadband penetration stood at 50.58% as of November 2025.

LEO satellite systems, which offer lower latency than traditional geostationary satellites, are increasingly seen as critical enablers for advanced digital services such as cloud computing, fintech, e-commerce, and remote work.

Beyond consumer broadband, Amazon Kuiper is expected to target enterprise customers in sectors including oil and gas, mining, ports, and logistics, where fibre deployment is often costly or technically challenging. Following its rebranding to Amazon LEO in November 2025, the company is also expected to integrate Kuiper’s connectivity with Amazon Web Services (AWS), offering bundled cloud and connectivity solutions.

What you should know

Starlink was granted ISP and Full Gateway Services licences by the NCC in 2022 and officially launched in Nigeria in January 2023. Its rollout was widely praised for enabling broadband access in virtually any part of the country.

By Q3 2024, Starlink became Nigeria’s second-largest ISP with 65,564 subscribers, behind Spectranet.

NCC data shows it retained this position in Q2 2025 with 66,523 users.

With Amazon Kuiper’s entry, Nigeria’s satellite broadband landscape is set for significant change, increasing pressure on Starlink and local ISPs already struggling with customer retention.