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Satellite Internet

Vietnam licences Amazon Kuiper to build satellite telecom network

Vietnam's science and technology minister has handed Amazon Kuiper Vietnam a licence to establish a private satellite telecommunications network, clearing the company to test satellite internet equipment manufactured in Vietnam.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 2 min read

Vietnam has granted Amazon’s satellite internet business a licence to establish a private telecommunications network in the country, marking a key regulatory milestone for the project in Southeast Asia.

Minister of Science and Technology Vu Hai Quan presented the licence to a representative of Amazon Kuiper Vietnam Co., Ltd. on the morning of 23 September in New York, in the presence of General Secretary and President To Lam, according to Vietnam’s state media.

The licence authorises Amazon Kuiper Vietnam to build a private telecommunications network using satellite transmission to test and verify the operation of customer terminal equipment, and thereby evaluate the quality of products manufactured in Vietnam. The network connects satellite systems with ground infrastructure and operates nationwide, with the company required to comply fully with regulations on telecommunications, radio frequencies, technical standards, service quality and information security.

Amazon Kuiper Vietnam was established in 2024 to implement the company’s satellite connectivity activities in the country. The satellite internet project, initially called Project Kuiper, was renamed Amazon Leo late last year, and is being developed as a low-Earth-orbit constellation of more than 3,200 satellites aimed at delivering high-speed, low-latency connectivity to hard-to-serve areas.

An Amazon representative said the company aims to develop Vietnam into a manufacturing hub for some equipment for export, the Investor reported. The licensing comes as Vietnam deepens cooperation with US technology companies: during his US visit, Minister Quan also met executives from Anthropic, Amazon and Oracle to discuss AI, data centres and digital transformation, according to the same report.

Vietnam previously approved a five-year pilot allowing SpaceX’s Starlink to provide low-Earth-orbit satellite internet services in the country until 1 January 2031, the Investor said.

Sources

More on this topic: all Satellite Internet stories

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