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Australia Taps Amazon's Satellite Service Over Starlink for Remote Connectivity
5 Aug
Summary
- Australia's government-owned NBN Co partners with Amazon's Project Kuiper for satellite internet
- Kuiper to replace NBN's aging satellites, serving 300,000 homes and businesses
- Starlink, the world's largest satellite internet provider, loses out on the contract
As of August 5th, 2025, the Australian government-owned internet network, NBN Co, has announced a partnership with Amazon's Project Kuiper to provide satellite-based connectivity to remote areas. This deal represents a significant shift, as NBN Co had previously relied on its own aging satellites, which are set for decommissioning in 2032.
Under the new agreement, low-Earth orbit satellites from Amazon's Kuiper service will start replacing NBN's existing satellites next year. The deal is designed to bring high-speed internet access to an estimated 300,000 homes and businesses that NBN's terrestrial network does not currently reach.
This decision marks a missed opportunity for Elon Musk's Starlink, which is currently the world's largest provider of satellite internet services and already has over 250,000 customers in Australia. Starlink, a subsidiary of Musk's SpaceX rocket company, has rapidly expanded its network of fast-orbiting satellites since launching in 2019, now totaling 8,000 satellites.
In contrast, Amazon's Kuiper service is still in its early stages, having launched just 78 satellites since its first launch in April. However, NBN and Amazon have stated that Kuiper will ultimately have more than 3,200 satellites, indicating their confidence in the service's future capabilities.
NBN has stated that the decision to partner with Kuiper followed a rigorous procurement process, though they did not disclose the specific reasons for choosing the Amazon service over Starlink. When asked about Musk's ownership of Starlink, NBN's chief development officer for regional and remote services, Gavin Williams, said that technical, operational, and commercial factors were considered during the selection process.
