Jeff Bezos is ramping up his challenge to Elon Musk’s Starlink in Africa, with Amazon seeking regulatory approval to establish its first satellite gateway on the continent in Kenya, a move that could reshape competition in the region’s fast-growing satellite internet market.
Amazon’s local unit, Amazon Kuiper Kenya Limited, has applied to the Communications Authority of Kenya for an International Gateway Operator licence, according to a notice published in the Kenya Gazette.
If approved, the licence would allow the company to establish and operate satellite earth stations and related infrastructure used to transmit internet traffic between Kenya and international networks.
The application marks Amazon’s most significant infrastructure push yet in Africa and signals a deeper commitment to challenging Starlink, Musk’s satellite broadband service, which has built an early lead across several African markets.
The proposed facility would serve as a critical gateway connecting Amazon’s low-Earth orbit satellite network, Amazon Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper, to terrestrial internet infrastructure.