Amazon Brings Project Kuiper to Uzbekistan as Starlink Rivalry Expands

Amazon has finalized an agreement with Uzbekistan’s national telecommunications operator to deploy its upcoming Project Kuiper satellite broadband network in the Central Asian country. The deal with state-owned Uztelecom will target remote and underserved regions with high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity.

Uztelecom’s terrestrial and mobile infrastructure already covers roughly 96 percent of populated communities in Uzbekistan. The remaining areas are harder to reach because of the country’s diverse and rugged geography, including the Tian Shan mountain ranges and the expansive Kyzylkum Desert, which create significant barriers to laying traditional physical fiber-optic cables.

Amazon’s LEO satellites will operate as an extension of Uztelecom’s existing infrastructure. The network is intended to connect rural schools, public institutions, health clinics, and remote agricultural operations. Operating between 360 and 390 miles (590 to 630 kilometers) above Earth, the satellites offer drastically lower latency than traditional geostationary satellites, which orbit more than 22,000 miles above the planet.

The service’s commercial deployment timeline in Uzbekistan remains tied to Amazon’s broader rollout schedule. Amazon began private beta testing with internal employees and select enterprise clients after successfully launching its first two prototype satellites, Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2, in October 2023. Wider commercial beta trials are projected to begin in late 2024 and extend into early 2025.

Amazon must also meet strict regulatory deadlines as it scales its 3,236-satellite constellation. Under its Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorization, the company must launch and operate at least half of the planned constellation—1,618 satellites—by July 30, 2026, or risk losing its license.

To meet that target, Amazon has contracted for up to 83 heavy-lift launches with United Launch Alliance, Arianespace, and Blue Origin. The expansion into Central Asia forms part of Amazon’s effort to carve out market share from SpaceX, which currently leads the LEO broadband sector.

SpaceX has deployed more than 6,000 operational Starlink satellites to date and serves more than 3 million active subscribers globally across consumer, enterprise, aviation, and maritime sectors. Starlink has already established a presence or secured operational approvals in neighboring Central Asian nations, including Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Amazon is heavily prioritizing wholesale agreements with existing national telecom providers rather than relying solely on a direct-to-consumer model. Alongside Uztelecom, the company has secured commercial partnerships with Verizon in the United States, Vodafone in Europe and Africa, and NTT and Sky Perfect JSAT in Japan. These agreements are designed to integrate Project Kuiper’s satellite backhaul capabilities into existing regional LTE and 5G networks.