Nigeria, Africa’s largest telecom market, is opening its skies to more satellite internet providers with Amazon’s Leo securing approval to operate across the country. The decision places Amazon Leo in direct competition with Elon Musk’s Starlink which is already permitted to operate in Nigeria..

The country issued 7-year operation permits to Amazon for its Leo system, Israel’s NSLComm (which plans to deploy a 264-satellite BeetleSat-1 network), and Germany’s Satelio IoT Services (which has approval for a 491-satellite Internet-of-Things constellation, although only one satellite is currently in orbit).. These permits allow deployment of advanced satellite systems to enhance nationwide connectivity from 2026 onwards.

According to the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), the licences are part of the government’s effort to improve broadband coverage, particularly in underserved and remote areas where fibre and mobile networks remain limited.

“Opening the market to multiple satellite operators will accelerate broadband rollout and improve service availability nationwide,” the NCC said in a statement.

Amazon received a seven-year landing permit authorising its 3,236-satellite Ka-band constellation to operate in Nigeria from February 2026 to February 2033. The approval allows Amazon LEO to provide fixed satellite broadband, mobile satellite services, and connectivity for moving platforms, including ships and aircraft.

This places Amazon in direct competition with Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which currently dominates Nigeria’s LEO satellite broadband segment.

Industry data shows that by the second quarter of 2025, Starlink had 66,523 subscribers in Nigeria, making it the country’s second-largest internet service provider by subscriber numbers, despite its relatively high pricing.

Starlink launched in Nigeria in January 2023, following the grant of ISP and gateway licences by the NCC in 2022. Starlink’s monthly subscription fee currently stands at about $38, up from around $25 in early 2024, after regulatory intervention by Nigerian authorities blocked a steeper price increase.

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Categories: Articles, Broadband, Satellite

Tags: Amazon, LEO, nigeria