NCC Grants Amazon’s Kuiper, BeetleSat Seven Years Internet Licence to Operate in Nigeria

Emma Okonji

In order to strengthen internet connectivity via satellite and to boost competition among existing internet service providers in Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has licensed two additional global internet service providers, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and BeetleSat-1.

Amazon Leo, formerly Project Kuiper, is Amazon’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network, designed to provide fast, reliable internet to customers and communities beyond the reach of existing networks, while BeetleSat (formerly NSLComm) is an international company with strong ties to both Israel and Spain, and its corporate structure involves multiple countries, building a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation of 250 satellites to provide high-throughput, low-latency, satellite internet, cellular backhaul, and mobility services globally.

NCC granted both global internet operators seven-year licence each to operate in Nigeria from February 28, 2026, to February 28, 2033.

According to information THISDAY obtained from the official website of NCC, both operators were granted Ka-Band for their frequency band operations, and the licence is renewable after the seven years expiration.  

The NCC’s landing permit authorises Project Kuiper to operate its space segment in Nigeria as part of a global constellation of up to 3,236 satellites. According to the NCC, the approval aligns with global best practices and reflects Nigeria’s willingness to open its satellite communications market to next-generation broadband providers.

The permit positions Project Kuiper to provide satellite internet services over Nigerian territory and sets the stage for intensified competition with Starlink, currently the most visible Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet provider in the country.

The permit also gives Amazon LEO and BeetleSat-1, the legal certainty to invest in ground infrastructure, local partnerships, and enterprise contracts, while giving Nigeria a wider market opportunity to play in space internet service delivery, where Starlink currently operates.

Analysts see the incursion of international satellite internet service providers into Nigeria, as a good development that will shape pricing dynamics, accelerate service rollouts, and force incumbents to raise performance standards across the satellite broadband ecosystem.

Spokesperson for the Amazon team in Africa, who confirmed the licence approval and the plans to enter the Nigerian market, said: “We don’t have any information to share beyond what is publicly available at this time.”

The landing permit enables Amazon Kuiper to offer three categories of satellite services in Nigeria: Fixed Satellite Service (FSS), Mobile Satellite Service (MSS), and Earth Stations at Sea (ESAS).

FSS enables broadband connectivity between satellites and fixed ground stations, such as homes, enterprises, telecom base stations, and government facilities. This is the core service behind satellite home internet and enterprise backhaul.

MSS, by contrast, is designed for mobility and resilience. ESIM extends high-speed satellite broadband to moving platforms, including aircraft, ships, trains, and vehicles.

These systems rely on sophisticated antennas that can track satellites in real time while in motion, making them critical for aviation and maritime connectivity as well as logistics and transport sectors.

BeetleSat was founded in Israel, where its groundbreaking antenna technology was developed and supported by the Israel Space Agency.

In 2021, it formed a strategic alliance with the Spanish technology group Arquimea, which is now BeetleSat’s largest shareholder and main industrial partner.