Amazon Leo Selects Kenya for Its First African Satellite Gateway
Amazon Leo, formerly Project Kuiper, has selected Kenya as the site for its first African satellite gateway, a strategic move aimed at challenging Starlink’s early dominance in the continent’s rapidly growing low-Earth orbit internet market.
The move comes after Amazon Kuiper Kenya Limited, a newly registered local subsidiary, submitted an application to the Communications Authority of Kenya for an international gateway operator licence under the Kenya Information and Communications Act Cap. 411A. The application, disclosed in Gazette Notice No. 8417 published on 5 June, seeks a 15-year licence to establish a satellite earth station and network control centre to transmit and receive internet traffic internationally. The company has not disclosed where in Kenya the proposed station would be located.
A Direct Challenge to Starlink
Amazon Leo is positioning itself as a faster and potentially more affordable alternative to Starlink, which has moved quickly to establish itself across Africa in recent years. For standard residential terminals, where Starlink currently offers download speeds of up to 150 megabits per second, Amazon is promising up to 400 Mbps. For commercial-grade equipment, the company is claiming speeds of up to 1,280 Mbps, more than three times Starlink’s 400 Mbps ceiling for commercial kits.
Pricing details have not yet been announced, but analysts speculate that Leo will enter the market at lower price points, targeting customers who have found Starlink’s hardware and subscription costs out of reach.
Connecting Satellites to Mobile Networks
Beyond fixed broadband, Amazon is also pursuing a direct-to-device model that would transmit data between satellites and ordinary smartphones without the need for cell towers, a technology Starlink is similarly developing.
To expand its rural reach across Africa, Amazon has signed a partnership with Vodafone, the parent company of Kenya’s dominant telecoms operator Safaricom, to connect Leo to existing 4G and 5G mobile masts. Service trials are expected to begin this year.
Kenya as a Strategic Foothold
Kenya’s selection as Amazon’s first African gateway market is telling. The country has long been regarded as one of the continent’s most advanced digital economies, with a mature regulatory environment, strong mobile penetration, and a growing appetite for high-speed connectivity in both urban and rural areas.
With its licence application now under review, Amazon Leo’s entry into the African market appears closer than ever. If approved, the gateway would set the stage for a broadband competition on the continent that could reshape how millions of people access the internet.