Amazon plans South Africa satellite internet service through Herotel

Amazon said it will launch satellite internet services in South Africa through a partnership with local internet provider Herotel, entering a market where SpaceX's Starlink has not secured regulatory approval.

Amazon Leo, the company's low-Earth orbit satellite network, is intended to provide internet access to customers in areas with limited or no connectivity. Under the agreement, Herotel will use Amazon Leo technology to offer a new service called Evry, with a commercial launch planned for 2027.

Amazon said the deal is the first Amazon Leo agreement of its kind in Africa. It did not disclose financial terms. AFP reported that Herotel is South Africa's largest fixed internet service provider.

Starlink has yet to obtain a licence in South Africa because of local ownership rules. Telecoms companies in the country, including those with foreign investment, are required to provide 30 percent equity to historically disadvantaged groups under a policy created to address the legacy of racial inequality left by apartheid.

Elon Musk has refused to cede ownership stakes and has called the black empowerment policy "openly racist". Musk, who was born in South Africa and left in his late teens, has repeatedly accused the Pretoria government of discriminating against white people.

Amazon launched its first batch of low-Earth orbit satellites last year and says it now has more than 390 satellites deployed. Starlink's fleet has more than 10,000 satellites, according to the report.