If you have tried to order a Starlink kit in Lagos or Abuja recently, you likely hit a “Sold Out” wall. The satellite revolution that Elon Musk brought to Africa has been nothing short of transformative, but it has hit a ceiling: capacity.
Enter Amazon LEO.
Just weeks ago, on November 13, 2025, Amazon officially retired the “Project Kuiper” codename, rebranding its massive satellite internet initiative to Amazon LEO (Low Earth Orbit). More importantly for us in Nigeria, they have officially opened the waitlist.
For the past few years, Starlink has enjoyed a near-monopoly on high-speed satellite internet in Africa. But with Amazon finally stepping into the ring, the dynamics are about to shift. I’ve dug deep into the specs, the regulatory filings, and the early performance data to bring you this comprehensive review of what Amazon LEO promises and how it stacks up against Starlink, the current king of the hill.
1. The Context: Why Now?
To understand the hype, we have to look at the current landscape. Since its Nigerian launch in early 2023, Starlink became the second-largest ISP in the country by subscriber numbers, purely because it solved a decades-old problem: reliable speed.
However, Starlink is suffering from success. In dense urban areas like Victoria Island, Lekki, and parts of Abuja, speeds have throttled, and new sign-ups are frequently paused. The spectrum is crowded.
Amazon LEO isn’t just “another internet provider.” It is a calculated, trillion-dollar response from Jeff Bezos to capture the overflow of frustrated users and the millions still unconnected.
2. Hardware & Design: The “Nano” Advantage
One area where Starlink has struggled is the sheer size and cost of entry for the average African household. Amazon seems to have read the room perfectly with its hardware lineup.
Unlike Starlink’s “one-size-fits-most” approach (before the Mini), Amazon LEO is launching with three distinct terminals, and the design philosophy is striking:
- The “Nano” (The Game Changer): This is the one I’m most excited about for the Nigerian market. It’s a tiny, 7-inch square terminal, roughly the size of a Kindle. It weighs less than 1kg.
- Performance: Up to 100 Mbps.
- Verdict: This is clearly aimed at mass adoption. If Amazon prices this aggressively (and rumors suggest they will), this could be the “sachet economy” equivalent of satellite internet.
- The “Pro” (The Standard): This is the direct rival to the standard Starlink dish. It’s about 11 inches wide.
- Performance: Up to 400 Mbps.
- The “Ultra” (The Enterprise Beast): A large, 19×30 inch terminal for businesses and government use.
- Performance: 1 Gbps fiber-like speeds.
Comparison Note: While Starlink’s new Mini is a great portable device, Amazon’s Nano appears to be designed fundamentally for affordability rather than just portability.
3. Performance and The Constellation Race
Here is where the narrative gets tricky. Starlink is years ahead.
- Starlink: Over 8,600 active satellites.
- Amazon LEO: Currently has about 153 satellites in orbit (as of late Nov 2025), with a goal of 3,200+.
So, why the optimism?
Amazon isn’t trying to match Starlink’s number of satellites immediately. Instead, they are focusing on integration. Amazon LEO is built on the backbone of AWS (Amazon Web Services). This means that for businesses and tech startups in Yaba or satellite campuses, the “hop” from your dish to the server is potentially faster because it bypasses parts of the public internet, routing directly into Amazon’s private infrastructure.
Early enterprise tests in the US this month have shown the “Ultra” terminal hitting that promised 1 Gbps mark consistently. However, until the constellation is denser (expected mid-2026), expect coverage to be spotty compared to Starlink’s 24/7 blanket.
4. The Regulatory Landscape in Nigeria
This is often the boring part, but in Nigeria, it is the most critical.
Starlink faced hurdles with the NCC (Nigerian Communications Commission) regarding pricing in local currency and data governance. Amazon seems to be taking a more cautious, “compliance-first” route. By launching a waitlist rather than direct sales, they are likely gauging demand to present a solid case to the NCC for bandwidth allocation.
Furthermore, the “Amazon LEO” rebrand suggests a focus on global compliance. They are actively engaging with African regulators to avoid the “digital sovereignty” friction that Starlink encountered in countries like South Africa and Ghana.
5. Starlink vs. Amazon LEO: The Head-to-Head
| Feature | Starlink (Current Reality) | Amazon LEO (The Promise) |
| Availability | Available (but congested in cities) | Waitlist (Launch 2026) |
| Top Consumer Speed | 20-250 Mbps (varies by location) | 100 Mbps (Nano) / 400 Mbps (Pro) |
| Entry Price | High (~₦600k+ for hardware) | Expected to be lower for “Nano” |
| Ecosystem | Standalone | Deep AWS Integration |
| Latency | 25-50ms | Targeted <30ms |
6. The “Innovation Village” Verdict
Is Amazon LEO a Starlink killer? Not yet. Starlink has the first-mover advantage and a massive constellation that is already operational. If you need internet today, Starlink (or a fiber provider if you are lucky) is still your only satellite option.
However, Amazon LEO is arguably the more strategic product for the African market in the long run.
- The “Nano” terminal addresses the hardware cost barrier better than Starlink’s current lineup.
- The AWS backbone offers a unique advantage for the growing tech ecosystem in Nigeria.
- Competition is good. The moment Amazon LEO goes live, Starlink will be forced to compete on price and service quality, which they haven’t really had to do in the satellite space until now.
My Advice to You:
Join the waitlist. It costs nothing to put your name down. By the time Amazon LEO rolls out commercially in 2026, the satellite internet wars will be in full swing, and we – the consumers – will finally have the power of choice.
