NBN Co has officially partnered with Amazon’s Project Kuiper to deliver high-speed broadband to approximately 300,000 rural and regional users across Australia starting in mid-2026. This decision comes as a significant move away from the company’s previous reliance on the aging Sky Muster satellite service, which has faced criticism for providing slower speeds compared to newer options like Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Communications Minister Anika Wells announced the agreement on Tuesday, emphasizing its potential to enhance connectivity for Australians living in remote areas. “The agreement will deliver high-speed broadband to regional, rural and remote Australia via low Earth orbit satellites, meaning Australians living anywhere will be better off,” Wells stated. The service aims to facilitate essential activities such as remote work, telehealth, and online education.
NBN Co’s chief executive, Ellie Sweeney, highlighted the thorough selection process that led to this partnership. The move to engage with Amazon signals a strategic pivot for the government-owned company, which has been under pressure to improve services in underserved regions. “We went through a pretty rigorous and a pretty compelling RFI and RFP process to provide wholesale broadband access via low Earth orbit,” Sweeney explained.
Transition to Project Kuiper
The collaboration with Amazon’s Project Kuiper will involve deploying a constellation of over 3,000 satellites designed to provide city-quality broadband service. The phased rollout is expected to replace the current Sky Muster satellites by the early 2030s. While Sky Muster has been instrumental in delivering broadband to remote areas, users have expressed dissatisfaction with its comparative performance.
Starlink, co-founded by Elon Musk in 2019, has gained considerable traction in Australia, amassing over 200,000 customers as of now. Despite its rapid growth, Starlink experienced a significant global network outage last week, lasting more than two hours, which raises questions about its reliability.
Sweeney remarked on the responsibility of NBN Co as Australia’s default broadband provider. “It’s incumbent on us to be able to provide broadband access across Australia,” she stated, underscoring the company’s commitment to enhancing internet services.
Looking Ahead
The partnership with Amazon represents a bold step forward for NBN Co, aiming to close the digital divide in Australia and ensure that all citizens have access to high-quality internet. As the country moves towards this ambitious project, many are hopeful that the collaboration will yield significant improvements in connectivity and user satisfaction.
With the support of innovative technology from Amazon, the future of broadband access in remote Australian areas looks promising. This deal not only marks a shift in NBN Co’s strategy but also sets a new standard for internet service provision in underserved regions.
