NBN Co and Amazon have announced a partnership to provide high speed broadband to Australian customers in rural and remote areas from 2026 via the Project Kuiper network of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
Project Kuiper is the broadband satellite arm of the Amazon business which is already providing high speed coverage to customers around the world.
The plan for Project Kuiper is to launch satellites that will offer fixed LEO satellite services to more than 300,000 Australian premises by mid 2026 through participating retail service providers (RSPs).
The satellites are launched in sequence starting at the south pole and moving north which means customers in Tasmania will be the first to experience the Project Kuiper LEO satellite services.
NBN Co says it will transition customers from its existing geostationary Sky Muster satellite service over the next few years.
“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,” says NBN Co CEO Ellie Sweeney.
“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.”
Project Kuiper’s deployment, which started in April, will include more than 3,200 satellites connected to each other with high-speed optical links to create a huge mesh network in space.
At this time, there are 78 Kuiper satellites in orbit after three successful launches in less than three months.
“We’ve designed Project Kuiper to be the most advanced satellite system ever built, and we’re combining that innovation with Amazon’s long track record of making everyday life better for customers,” says Rajeev Badyal, Vice President, Technology at Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
“We’re proud to be working with NBN to bring Kuiper to even more customers and communities across Australia and look forward to creating new opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people in rural and remote parts of the country.”
