Can Amazon Leo connect rural Africa?

Amazon Leo, Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite network, is positioning itself to help connect millions across rural Africa by working with partners that understand local deployment challenges

Amazon Leo has partnered with Vanu, Inc., a provider of mobile network equipment and services, to expand reliable internet access to underserved communities. The collaboration focuses particularly on Southern Africa, where infrastructure gaps remain significant and millions still lack basic connectivity.

“Even in places like the United States, 20 to 30 million people have no access to broadband internet. In Africa, the problem is an order of magnitude worse. You’re looking at hundreds of millions without any connectivity whatsoever,” said Andrew Beard, CEO of Vanu.

A recent study highlights the scale of the challenge within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), where connectivity levels trail global averages. Almost one quarter of the region has no network coverage at all, with rural communities disproportionately affected. Around 40% of the population lives in these rural areas, many without access to reliable communications services.

“We can use the Amazon Leo constellation to provide connectivity anywhere, certainly anywhere in Africa and subsequently anywhere in the world,” commented Beard.

“With Amazon Leo, we can advance our timelines. Leo improves the quality of the connection, provides a faster connection, lowers the cost, simplifies installation, and makes it feasible to provide service virtually anywhere.”

With more than 200 satellites already deployed and hundreds more manufactured for launch, Amazon Leo is building the backhaul capacity needed to extend coverage to previously unreachable locations. By leveraging low Earth orbit technology, the system is designed to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity without reliance on traditional terrestrial infrastructure.

Founded in 1998 and operating across the United States, Rwanda and India, Vanu supports mobile operators in expanding coverage into rural and remote markets. Through Amazon Leo-enabled cellular backhaul, Vanu can deploy towers in areas where fibre networks and grid power are unavailable, enabling faster rollouts, lower installation costs and improved service quality. The rollout will begin in South Africa before expanding further across the region.

"Amazon Leo will enable more people on Earth to connect and thrive. We're building the network, but we need partners with boots on the ground—organizations like Vanu who understand the unique needs of their customers and have the experience to deploy solutions that work for them,” remarked Chris Weber, vice- president of consumer and enterprise for Amazon Leo.

According to research by Access Partnership, incorporating non-geostationary satellite orbit systems such as Amazon Leo into SADC’s connectivity framework could generate up to US$16.9bn in annual economic benefits. These systems are particularly suited to regions where difficult terrain or sparse populations make terrestrial infrastructure economically unviable.

The financial implications are substantial. The report estimates that using NGSO systems for backhaul could reduce terrestrial infrastructure costs by at least US$10.3bn for local operators.

Beyond direct economic gains, improved connectivity is expected to deliver cross-sector benefits. NGSO-enabled networks could support Internet of Things applications for vehicle and cargo tracking, potentially saving an estimated US$5.4bn in road logistics costs by 2030. The technology could also strengthen early warning systems for natural disasters, helping prevent infrastructure damage and saving an estimated US$1.21bn.

By complementing conventional infrastructure with satellite-based connectivity, Amazon Leo and Vanu aim to accelerate universal access to digital services. The initiative represents a meaningful step toward closing the connectivity gap in regions where reliable communication remains limited but urgently needed.