Amazon Will Launch Its Satellite Internet in South Africa, Seemingly Beating Musk in His Homeland
Amazon said the deal will bring low-Earth orbit internet to underserved communities and mark its first satellite internet agreement in Africa.
- Amazon Leo is nearing its official launch in South Africa, a country of 62 million people, after securing a partnership with local provider Herotel; the agreement marks Amazon's first satellite internet deal on the African continent.
- Targeting a continent of more than 1.5 billion people, Amazon intends for this South African deal to initiate a broader rollout, partnering with Lexington, Massachusetts-based Vanu Inc. to support mobile internet connectivity.
- Reporting more than 390 satellites currently operational, Amazon launched its first low orbit internet satellites last year; Starlink, founded by Elon Musk, has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit since launching operations in 2019.
- Communications Minister Solly Malatsi backed the deal, appearing alongside representatives to announce the agreement; while Starlink has launched in other African nations, Musk has refused to comply with local affirmative action regulations regarding Black ownership.
- South Africa's affirmative action policies require foreign communications companies to grant minority shares to Black or non-white owners to acquire licenses, aiming to provide opportunities previously denied under the country's former apartheid system of minority rule.
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Listen hereIn today's BizNews Daybreak we dive into Amazon's quiet maneuver past Starlink into South Africa's satellite internet market via Herotel. We also examine the Public Investment Corporation's escalating governance crisis over the Lanseria Airport transaction, alongside policing gaps fueling local pharmaceutical drug crimes. Internationally, we cover SpaceX’s scrubbed Starship launch, Netflix’s disappointing sales guidance, a White House…
Amazon To Launch Its Own Satellite Internet In South Africa
[Image: Unsplash] Yesterday, Amazon announced that it will be launching its new satellite internet service, Amazon Leo, in South Africa next year – a move that pushes ahead of Elon Musk’s rival, Starlink, to win business in the most advanced economy on the continent. The Jeff Bezos-founded technology company said that it would partner with South African internet provider, Herotel, to launch a new service in the country, which will be its first s…
Amazon Leo satellite internet to launch in South Africa
South Africans could soon have a new option for high-speed internet from space, with Amazon confirming that its satellite broadband service, Amazon Leo, will officially launch in the country in 2027. The announcement marks a significant milestone for the tech giant, making South Africa the first African nation to secure an agreement for Amazon’s satellite internet network. It also positions... Read more → The post Amazon Leo satellite internet …
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