aboutamazon.com Australian government-owned broadband wholesaler NBN Co has chosen Amazon's nascent LEO satellite network Project Kuiper to deliver broadband to underserved areas of the island continent, as it transitions from its Sky Muster geostationary satellite broadband service. NBN Co and Amazon this week announced an agreement to deliver high-speed, wholesale fixed broadband to RSP customers in parts of regional, rural and remote Australia via Project Kuiper’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology. However, the new Amazon LEO service will not be available in Australia until at least mid-2026 as Project Kuiper builds out its currently comparatively small constellation of satellites. Project Kuiper, which uses Elon Musk's SpaceX launch services, plans to build out its LEO network to more than 3200 satellites but currently has just 78 satellites in orbit. In comparison, Starlink, owned by SpaceX, currently dwarfs Amazon's new venture, with 8,075 working LEO satellites already providing broadband services to large parts of the world, North America, Europe, Australia, and some areas in South America and Asia. Australia's largest telco Telstra uses Starlink to power its satellite internet service. When Project Kuiper launches in Australia, NBN Co plans to offer RSPs wholesale residential-grade fixed LEO satellite broadband services covering more than 300,000 premises within its existing satellite footprint. NBN Co says the Amazon agreement will enable it to transition from its geostationary Sky Muster satellite service over coming years, and will soon start consultation with RSPs, regional communities and stakeholders, about speed tiers, wholesale pricing and the upgrade for customers. “LEO satellite broadband, supplied by NBN Co and powered by Amazon’s Project Kuiper, will be a major leap forward for customers in parts of regional, rural and remote Australia," Ellie Sweeney, Chief Executive Officer at NBN Co, said. “This important agreement will complement our other major network upgrades that have involved the rollout of full fibre services across much of our fixed line network and the deployment of the latest 5G millimetre wave technology to improve the speed and capacity of our fixed wireless network. “Australians deserve to have access to fast, effective broadband regardless of whether they live in a major city, on the outskirts of a country town or miles from their nearest neighbour. "That’s what NBN was set up to deliver. "By upgrading to next generation LEO satellite broadband powered by Project Kuiper, we are working to bring the best available technology to Aussies in the bush. “Transitioning from two geostationary satellites to a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites will help to ensure the NBN network is future-ready and delivers the best possible broadband experience to customers living and working in parts of regional, rural and remote Australia. “We plan to bring faster, lower latency broadband to Australians living and working in regional, rural and remote areas, enabling their ongoing participation in the economy for work, study, telehealth, streaming entertainment and connecting with family and friends. “This new LEO service will eventually replace our geostationary satellites, and we are committed to working with regional communities to ensure we provide continuity of service and make the transition as smooth and seamless as possible.” NBN Co says it will continue to maintain and operate its two geostationary Sky Muster satellites until the company transitions to Project Kuiper’s satellite network. The two Sky Muster satellites are expected to remain viable and operational until approximately 2032. Read 315 times