en.Wedoany.com Reported - Amazon is building its first satellite ground gateway in Kenya and has formally applied to local communications regulators for an international gateway operator license, a move that will deepen its competition with Starlink in Africa.

On June 5, the Communications Authority of Kenya published a notice in the Kenya Gazette confirming that Amazon Kuiper Kenya Limited has submitted an application for an international gateway operator license. The company is seeking a 15-year license for its Amazon Leo satellite internet project, with the ground station designed to improve internet speeds by shortening the data transmission distance between satellites and users.

This application is based on earlier filings. At the end of April, Amazon applied to the Communications Authority of Kenya for a Network Facilities Provider Tier 2 license, which, if approved, would allow it to build and operate telecommunications infrastructure across Kenya. The project was renamed from Project Kuiper to Amazon Leo in November 2025, but the local subsidiary retains the name "Kuiper."

This move makes Kenya a leading market for Amazon's expansion in Africa, following similar regulatory steps taken in Nigeria. It directly competes with Starlink, which entered Kenya in July 2023 and currently has approximately 22,282 users, accounting for about 0.9% of the country's fixed internet connections.

The Communications Authority of Kenya has opened a 30-day public consultation period for this application.

This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com