Musk and Bezos ignite a satellite internet battle in Africa

Written by: Ayman Ragab

Following Elon Musk's launch of Starlink, currently available in 29 African countries, Jeff Bezos, the world's fourth-richest man, is launching Amazon Leo in Africa. The two billionaires are competing in the high-speed satellite internet market, a highly promising sector in a continent where internet penetration barely reaches 401 TPD/3T. This competition has positive implications for African economies, but…
Paying subscriptions, sending and receiving money, accessing healthcare, and studying—all these now rely heavily on internet connectivity. Yet, internet access in Africa remains limited, highly unequal, unreliable, and expensive for a large segment of the population. In fact, barely 401 TPD of Africa’s population has internet access, with stark disparities between urban and rural areas. This lack of internet access is largely attributed to the isolation of some regions, the cost of terrestrial technologies (cables, antennas, power, etc.), inadequate infrastructure, and high operating costs.

Not only do millions of Africans lack internet access, but businesses, institutions, and other organizations often operate without reliable connectivity, resulting in limited access to modern communication technologies, education, healthcare, and more. This presents a significant obstacle in a world where good, widespread internet connectivity has become a competitive advantage for households, businesses, institutions, and nations striving for universal coverage and making the internet a catalyst for economic and social development.

High-speed satellite internet is an ideal solution

With the growing need for high-quality connectivity in sectors such as banking, mining, and AI-powered cloud computing services, low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet, based on a constellation of satellites, has become essential. It reduces data travel distance, lowers latency, and improves connection quality for services like video streaming, voice calls, and online gaming.

This combination of positive effects has enabled the availability of high-speed internet, relying on communications satellites in low Earth orbit (at an altitude of 500 kilometers) instead of geostationary orbit (at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers). This provides Earth-to-space connection speeds fifty times faster than traditional satellites (a response time of 20 milliseconds compared to over 600 milliseconds). The market is experiencing remarkable growth thanks to the shift by banks, businesses, and governmental and non-governmental organizations away from systems that previously relied on older geostationary satellites.

In this context, ultra-fast satellite internet is considered an ideal solution to bridge the digital divide between the continent and the rest of the world.

29 African countries

In this area, the South African-born American billionaire, Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, was the first to take up the challenge by offering his Starlink service, which he launched across the continent in 2023.

This service currently covers 29 out of 54 African countries, and thanks to his close relationship with President Donald Trump, Musk has accelerated the rollout of the super-fast internet service since the latter's return to the White House.

However, while Musk has been almost alone in providing high-speed satellite internet service until now, this will no longer be the case.

In fact, Jeff Bezos, the fourth richest man in the world with a fortune of $260 billion, embarked on a broadband satellite internet invasion of Africa with Amazon Leo, opening up a direct battle between two of the richest men on the planet.

The eccentric billionaire and his Starlink offering will face competition in this market from fellow American Jeff Bezos, whose Amazon Leo service is a broadband internet network capable of connecting homes, businesses, telecom operators, and enterprises. This offering targets download speeds of up to 400 Mbps for homes and even higher speeds for businesses.

Recognizing the delays, Bezos chose Kenya as the starting point for his project and hopes to obtain a license from Kenyan authorities to establish his first satellite gateway in Africa. If granted, Amazon Kuiper Kenya Limited would become the group's first subsidiary in Africa, acting as a link between its constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit and terrestrial internet networks. This satellite gateway would enable data transfer between satellites and ground infrastructure, improving service quality, response times, and connection speeds. Once the license is granted, Amazon will be able to accelerate its deployment in the region before focusing its efforts on expanding across the African continent, where broadband internet providers are increasingly eager to offer their services. Therefore, obtaining approval could significantly alter the competitive landscape for satellite internet services in the region and across Africa.

Kenya: Africa's most attractive technology market

Kenya was chosen because it is one of the most attractive technology markets in Africa, boasting high-quality digital infrastructure, a thriving startup environment, and strong demand for broadband internet. Furthermore, it is one of the African countries where Starlink, which has been operating since 2023, has achieved remarkable success.

Other countries are also targeted, including Nigeria and South Africa.

In an effort to compete with Musk, Bezos raised the bar with his TeraWave project and its constellation of 5,408 satellites, including 5,280 in low Earth orbit (LEO) and 128 in medium Earth orbit (MEO) connected by optical links. This infrastructure will provide speeds of up to 144 gigabits per second (Gbps) per user, with a peak speed of 6 terabits per second (Tbps).

However, the Amazon CEO faces the risk of his strategy being derailed by a lack of launch vehicles. While Amazon has the capacity to manufacture up to 1,500 satellites annually, launching them into orbit depends on the launch schedule of heavy rockets like Ariane 6, whereas Musk has his own launch vehicles (Starship, Falcon 9, and Falcon Heavy).

Therefore, Amazon Leo will be at a disadvantage in directly challenging SpaceX's dominance, which already operates more than 10,600 satellites in orbit.

To accelerate the deployment of its services, Amazon uses satellite backhaul technology. This technology connects satellites in low Earth orbit with ground stations that play a pivotal role in satellite broadband operation, linking the satellites in orbit to internet users on Earth. With this model, Amazon doesn't sell its equipment directly to individuals but provides data capacity to mobile network operators. More specifically, this technology enables 4G and 5G mobile phone antennas to connect to the national network via an Amazon satellite link. As a result, individual users, for example, can continue to use their phones with their usual SIM cards.

Based on this, Amazon is partnering with telecommunications companies to expand its services. For example, Amazon Leo signed an agreement with Vodafone, the parent company of Vodacom, to connect isolated 4G and 5G network sites using satellite technology. In Kenya, this partnership is expected to facilitate deployment, given that Safaricom, the country's main network operator, is partly owned by Vodafone.

Direct contact with the cell

However, Starlink sells its antennas directly to individuals and businesses, and as part of its diverse offerings, it also utilizes Direct Cell Connect (DCT) technology. This system allows the satellite to communicate directly with compatible mobile phones, eliminating problems caused by coverage interruptions and providing solutions for areas lacking telecommunications infrastructure. In this context, Starlink partnered with Airtel Africa, a telecommunications company operating in 14 African countries.

Between technology offerings and partnerships with telecommunications companies, Musk and Bezos are sharpening their weapons for what is expected to be a fierce competition, as the market is considered very promising.

Advantages and reliability for African countries

The strong demand for internet connectivity in Africa is justified by the generally low internet penetration rates in some African countries. At the beginning of 2025, internet penetration rates in Nigeria and South Africa, two major economic and demographic powers, were 45.41 TP3T and 78.91 TP3T, respectively. According to data from the International Telecommunication Union, internet penetration across Africa did not exceed 381 TP3T in 2024.

In any case, this new phase of competition between Starlink and Amazon is structurally beneficial for African countries. First, Amazon's entry into the market enables a new broadband satellite internet service that will accelerate internet access by complementing existing services, particularly those of Starlink. This diversification of services will speed up coverage of previously underserved areas and allow customers (individuals, businesses, and organizations, etc.) to choose the service provider that best suits their needs, rather than relying on just one or two.

Furthermore, by breaking the market monopoly of these two companies, Amazon will contribute to making satellite broadband internet access available to everyone across the continent. This competition will lead to lower access fees and connection costs. The entry of these companies will also push national fiber optic network operators to reduce their prices and improve the quality of their services to remain competitive. In fact, with a standard installation kit costing around US$370 and a monthly subscription ranging from US$30 to US$50 depending on the country, Starlink service is currently unavailable to the majority of African households.

Furthermore, Amazon's arrival will allow some countries to access broadband internet while avoiding some of the behaviors that can result from relying on a single player, especially when that player is someone like Elon Musk with an unpredictable temperament who would have the ability to cut off a country whenever he wants.

Finally, competition improves services provided and will contribute to the development of many remote sectors, including online education, telemedicine, and e-government services…

In short, the competition between Musk and Bezos in the satellite internet sector is expected to lead to faster connections, wider coverage, and more affordable prices. This competition will intensify in the coming years in Africa, which still suffers from limited internet access.

Broadband satellite internet solutions

However, along with the advantages, broadband satellite internet solutions have disadvantages for governments.

The decisions made by these billionaires in the United States have direct implications for connectivity and the digital economy in Africa. Through satellite internet, they control data, pricing, and service continuity. Similarly, the lack of physical infrastructure and formal presence of these companies in African countries complicates regulatory oversight, content control, and taxation of their activities. For example, Starlink operates in some African countries despite lacking the necessary licenses. Consequently, these solutions herald a new era of technological dependency, raising fundamental questions about digital sovereignty.

Fortunately, these two billionaires won't be the only players in the high-speed satellite internet market. Other companies are also improving their offerings, including the French group Eutelsat, which in January 2026 ordered 340 new OneWeb satellites from Airbus Defence and Space, bringing its total order to 440. This competition will intensify with several other projects underway, including Telesat Lightspeed, SES O3B mPower, and the Chinese companies Hongyan and Hongyun. (Source: Le 360).