Amazon (AMZN.O) and telecommunications company Vrio announced on Thursday that they will jointly launch a satellite internet service in seven South American countries, directly competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
Vrio, which manages DirecTV’s Latin American operations and Sky Brasil, will offer the service in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.
“We believe the potential is enormous,” said Lucas Werthein, vice president of Vrio, in an interview with Reuters.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper, initiated by a former Starlink employee, will provide internet through satellites in low Earth orbit.
“Approximately 200 million people in the region have poor, limited, or no internet access,” Werthein noted, referencing World Bank data. “Additionally, the geographical terrain and the continent’s challenges with large infrastructure investments further complicate the situation.”
The service is scheduled to launch in mid-2025, beginning in Argentina, according to Project Kuiper’s timeline.
In the coming months, Project Kuiper will detail its plan to deploy 3,236 satellites, according to Bruno Henriques, the head of Latin American business development.
Amazon announced in 2019 its intention to invest $10 billion in Project Kuiper.
“Our aim is to ensure that all customers, regardless of whether they live in urban, suburban, or rural areas, have the same level of broadband access,” Henriques stated.
