Amazon and Vrio have announced a partnership to launch a satellite internet service across seven South American countries, directly competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink. Vrio, which oversees DirecTV’s Latin American branch and Sky Brasil, will offer the service to customers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. Lucas Werthein, vice president of Vrio, expressed optimism about the venture, stating that there is a massive opportunity in the region. With approximately 200 million people in the area lacking internet access, according to World Bank estimates, and considering the challenging geographical terrain and infrastructure limitations, the demand for reliable internet services is significant. Amazon’s Project Kuiper, led by a former Starlink employee, will utilize satellites in low Earth orbit to provide internet connectivity.
According to Project Kuiper’s launch plan, the service is scheduled to be available in mid-2025, initially launching in Argentina.
Bruno Henriques, the head of Latin American business development at Project Kuiper, stated that the company will present its plan in the upcoming months to deploy 3,236 satellites into the sky.
In 2019, Amazon announced its intention to invest $10 billion in the project.
Henriques emphasized that their objective is to ensure equal broadband access for all customers, regardless of whether they reside in urban, suburban, or rural areas.