Amazon’s Project Kuiper Wins Deal to Bring Satellite Broadband to Rural Australia
Australia’s government‑owned broadband provider, NBN Co, has signed an agreement with Amazon’s Project Kuiper to deliver fixed internet via low Earth orbit satellites to about 300,000 homes and businesses in regional, rural and remote areas starting in mid‑2026.
NBN Co will gradually phase out its current Sky Muster satellites, which orbit much farther from Earth and currently serve these areas. The two satellites are expected to remain operational until about 2032, allowing time for customers to transition.
NBN Co chief development officer for regional and remote services, Gavin Williams, said that although Amazon’s service remains untested in Australia, NBN Co has confidence in Kuiper’s execution. The company is supporting Project Kuiper’s deployment with a roughly US$15 billion investment.
Amazon has launched 78 satellites so far, following three successful missions earlier this year. It plans to deploy more than 3,200 satellites in total to reach full capacity. By comparison, Starlink has already placed around 8,000 into orbit and serves over 250,000 Australian subscribers.
According to NBN Co chief executive Ellie Sweeney, the new service will deliver much faster and lower‑latency broadband across underserved areas. Tests indicate download speeds of up to 400 Mbps via Kuiper, roughly double what Starlink offers and far exceeding Sky Muster’s performance.
Sweeney said roll‑out will start in Tasmania before expanding nationwide. Services will eventually be sold through participating retail providers, with NBN Co covering installation costs for existing qualifying customers. Amazon’s Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Kuiper’s technology arm, described the agreement as an opportunity to deliver advanced satellite broadband to hundreds of thousands of remote Australians.
Starlink, despite its head‑start and existing customer base, was passed over. Industry analysts suggest the decision reflects NBN Co’s focus on sovereign control and long‑term reliability rather than immediate scale perspectives.
The new arrangement supports the government’s broader goal of universal digital access. While metropolitan areas continue to benefit from fibre and fixed‑wireless upgrades, satellite remains the only viable option beyond the reach of physical infrastructure.
Some Australian telcos are already partnering with other providers. Telstra and Optus have explored their own low Earth orbit arrangements, such as Optus’ trial with Starlink but NBN Co chose Kuiper to maintain full operational oversight and avoid vendor concentration.
Expected to launch in mid‑2026, Kuiper’s service aims to match or outperform urban broadband standards. Download speeds could exceed 400 Mbps and latency should drop significantly below the hundreds of milliseconds typical of geostationary systems.
Officials plan consultations with retail providers and regional communities in coming weeks to determine pricing tiers, installation procedures and speed options. NBN Co has pledged free initial installation for eligible existing satellite users via participating providers.
This marks a major infrastructure shift in Australia’s remote connectivity strategy, as NBN Co begins handing over satellite service responsibility to a commercial partner while retiring its own high‑orbit systems.
