*NCC boss Maida with Minister of Communications Bosun Tijani
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled plans to deploy satellite-to-phone technology as part of its plan to extend mobile network coverage to about 23.3 million Nigerians currently living in underserved and unserved areas across the country.
The initiative will enable mobile phones to connect directly to satellites without relying solely on terrestrial base stations, particularly in remote, rural and hard-to-reach communities where current mobile telephony coverage is poor.
According to the NCC, the rollout aligns with the Federal Government’s digital inclusion agenda and its commitment to ensuring equitable access to telecommunications services nationwide. The technology is expected to improve access to voice, data and emergency communication services in areas where conventional network infrastructure is either absent or economically unviable.
Industry analysts say the satellite-to-phone solution could significantly boost socioeconomic activities in rural communities, enhance security communications and support sectors such as agriculture, education and healthcare.
As part of this process, experts note that Nigeria’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet market is poised for heightened competition following the approval of Internet Service Provider (ISP) and International Data Access (IDA) licences for Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
The NCC approvals,L – a five-year ISP licence and a 10-year IDA licence – position Amazon Kuiper as a direct competitor to Starlink, which has dominated Nigeria’s LEO satellite broadband segment since entering the market.
In a statement on the approval, the NCC said the authorisation reflects Nigeria’s openness to global satellite broadband providers and responds to the growing demand for high-speed internet services, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
According to the regulator, the licences permit Amazon Kuiper to operate its space segment in Nigeria as part of a global LEO constellation of up to 3,236 satellites. Under the approval, the company is authorised to provide Fixed Satellite Services (FSS), Mobile Satellite Services (MSS), and Earth Stations in Motion (ESIM).
This framework enables Kuiper to deliver broadband services to homes and businesses while supporting mobility use cases across aviation, maritime transport, logistics corridors, and critical national infrastructure.
The approval also grants access to the Ka-band spectrum, which supports high-capacity data transmission. Amazon is targeting broadband speeds of up to 400 Mbps using 100 MHz channels, with terminal pricing structured to encourage mass-market adoption.
Starlink, owned by SpaceX, has so far enjoyed a strong first-mover advantage in Nigeria’s LEO satellite internet market. Industry estimates place its Nigerian subscriber base at over 66,000 users, making the country one of Starlink’s fastest-growing markets globally.
Amazon Kuiper’s entry introduces competition between two global technology firms with significant financial capacity and advanced satellite infrastructure. Analysts expect the rivalry to influence pricing, service quality, customer acquisition strategies, and geographic coverage, potentially delivering improved value for consumers and businesses.
Nigeria remains one of Africa’s most significant broadband markets, with a population exceeding 200 million and substantial connectivity gaps. NCC data indicates that more than 23 million Nigerians live in unserved or underserved areas, while mobile broadband penetration stood at 50.58 per cent as of November 2025.
LEO satellite systems, which offer lower latency compared to traditional geostationary satellites, are increasingly viewed as critical enablers of advanced digital services, including cloud computing, fintech, e-commerce, and remote work.
Beyond consumer broadband, Amazon Kuiper is expected to target enterprise customers in sectors such as oil and gas, mining, ports, and logistics, where fibre deployment is often costly or technically challenging. Following its rebranding to Amazon LEO in November 2025, the company is also expected to integrate Kuiper’s connectivity with Amazon Web Services (AWS), offering bundled cloud and connectivity solutions.
Starlink received ISP and Full Gateway Services licences from the NCC in 2022 and officially launched operations in Nigeria in January 2023. Its rollout was widely praised for enabling broadband access across virtually all parts of the country.
By the third quarter of 2024, Starlink had become Nigeria’s second-largest ISP with 65,564 subscribers, behind Spectranet. NCC data shows it retained this position in the second quarter of 2025 with 66,523 users.
With Amazon Kuiper’s entry, Nigeria’s satellite broadband landscape is set for significant transformation, increasing competitive pressure on Starlink and local ISPs already facing challenges with customer retention.
