Amazon Kuiper & BeetleSat Secure Satellite Broadband Licenses in Nigeria

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted seven-year satellite operating permits to Amazon’s Project Kuiper and BeetleSat, according to the office of the special adviser on social media to the president. In a post on X on Saturday, the office said the licences will enable the companies to provide “non-geostationary satellite broadband services in Nigeria from 2026”. “Issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission, the licences signal a major push to expand internet access, boost competition with providers like Starlink, and improve connectivity, especially in underserved and remote areas across Africa’s largest telecom market,” the office said. Information available on the NCC’s website shows that the licences will be valid from February 28, 2026, to February 28, 2033. The commission said the operators were granted Ka-Band spectrum for their frequency band operations. According to NCC, Amazon’s Project Kuiper received a landing permit for its satellite constellation space segment of up to 3,236 satellites, which will beam broadband signals over Nigerian territory from 2026. “This landing permit has been issued to NSL for the Beetlesat-1 Constellation Space Segment of 264 Satellites to beam their signals over Nigerian Territory from 2026,” the NCC said. The commission also granted a permit to Satelio IoT Services. The approval, which covers S-band operations, is said to be valid from February 28, 2024, to February 28, 2030. According to the NCC, the landing permit allows Satelio’s constellation space segment of 491 satellites to beam signals over Nigeria, adding that Satelio has so far launched only one satellite. The commission added that the approvals are in line with global best practices.