Vodafone and Amazon Leo Partner to Expand Mobile Coverage Across Africa and Europe
Vodafone, a multinational telecommunications company operating across Africa, particularly in 8 African countries through Vodacom, has signed an agreement with Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite broadband network (Amazon LEO) to expand mobile coverage across Europe and Africa. The partnership aims to connect significantly more 4G and 5G mobile sites in remote areas, thereby improving connectivity for customers with limited access across both continents.
Through Amazon LEO, Vodafone will be able to deploy 4G and 5G base stations more easily and affordably in previously unserved areas, without the time and expense associated with installing extensive fibre-based or fixed wireless backhaul links to the core network. This is particularly relevant for rural and hard-to-reach regions. Vodafone will also use the service to strengthen network resilience for emergency and critical online services in situations where fibre links connecting mobile masts are disrupted or damaged, including by flooding. Built on a constellation of thousands of satellites, Amazon LEO enables telecommunications providers to rapidly expand and enhance network infrastructure through satellite-based connectivity, offering high-speed cell site backhaul of up to 1 Gbps download and 400 Mbps upload.
Under the agreement, the service will subsequently be progressively rolled out across Africa through Vodacom. The first mobile sites are expected to be connected in 2026, with further expansion planned as Amazon LEO continues to build out its satellite constellation.
Africa-Focused Deployment and Impact
The African rollout, delivered through Vodacom, represents a particularly significant development for the continent, where geographical challenges and infrastructure costs have historically limited network expansion in rural and remote areas. According to a report by UNESCO and ITU, the percentage of individuals using the Internet in Africa increased steadily from 25% in 2019 to 38% by 2024. Whilst this represents progress, it also showcases the substantial connectivity gap that remains. Satellite backhaul solutions like Amazon Leo directly address these longstanding barriers, enabling operators to extend coverage without the prohibitive costs of deploying terrestrial infrastructure.
“At Vodacom, we are working every day to bring more people in Africa online and in reach of vital digital services,” said Shameel Joosub, CEO of Vodacom Group. “Partnering with Amazon Leo enables us to swiftly deploy mobile connectivity in isolated areas, allowing us to efficiently expand our reach to more customers throughout the African continent.”
The agreement supports Vodacom’s Vision 2030 targets: reaching 260 million customers, expanding financial services, and raising smartphone penetration to 75% by 2030. It also aligns with Vodafone’s broader goal of extending advanced 5G services in Europe.
Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group Chief Executive, stated: “Vodafone is looking to space to connect more mobile base stations to our core network, and strengthen resilience even in the most challenging environments. Amazon Leo’s new satellite constellation supports our ambition to give all Vodafone customers reliable and high-speed connectivity, wherever they are.”
Panos Panay, Senior Vice President of Amazon Devices & Services, added: “Connectivity shouldn’t depend on where you live. With Amazon Leo, we’re helping bring fast, reliable broadband to places traditional infrastructure can’t easily reach, from rural communities to critical emergency networks. Partnering with Vodafone and Vodacom is an important step toward connecting millions more people across Europe and Africa and expanding access to the digital services that power modern life.”
Building on Strategic Satellite Partnerships
This partnership builds upon Vodafone’s established commitment to satellite-enabled connectivity solutions. In 2023, Vodafone and Vodacom, in collaboration with Amazon, announced their intention to utilise Project Kuiper’s high-bandwidth, low-latency satellite network to amplify the advantages of 4G/5G connectivity networks within remote and hard-to-reach regions globally. That initiative included exploring enterprise-specific offerings to provide businesses with affordable, high-performance connectivity solutions, including backup support for unforeseen events and expanded connectivity to remote locations.
Also in 2023, Lynk Global Inc announced its second contract with Telecel Group in Africa, enabling mobile coverage to 100% of Vodafone Ghana’s subscribers using Lynk’s cell towers in space. These space-based cell towers assist Telecel Group in extending geographical coverage, particularly in rural areas and Maritime Economic Zones, whilst providing backup to support service resilience and continuity of IoT devices, and serving as terrestrial tower replacements for underperforming sites.
The progressive deployment across Africa through Vodacom is expected to significantly accelerate connectivity expansion across the continent’s most underserved regions.