NCC okays two satellite ISPs to deepen connectivity

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has licensed two additional global satellite internet service providers (ISPs), BeetleSat-1 and Satelio IoT Services, as part of efforts to strengthen satellite internet connectivity and boost competition in Africa’s largest telecom market.

The seven-year licences, effective from February 28, 2026 to February 28, 2033, are designed to expand satellite broadband services and bring Nigeria in line with global best practices.

With more than 23 million Nigerians living in unserved or underserved areas and mobile broadband penetration standing at just 50.58per cent as of November 2025, the permits underscore the limitations of terrestrial networks in reaching rural and hard-to-access communities.

BeetleSat-1, operated by NSLComm, represents an international company with a corporate structure involving multiple countries. The company is building a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation of 264 satellites designed to provide high-throughput, low-latency satellite internet, cellular backhaul, and mobility services globally.

In 2021, the company formed a strategic alliance with Spanish technology group Arquimea, which is now BeetleSat’s largest shareholder and main industrial partner. The NCC granted BeetleSat a Ka-Band frequency licence, renewable after the seven-year period expires.

Germany-based Satelio IoT Services was approved for its planned 491-satellite IoT system, though only one satellite is currently in orbit. The licence positions Satelio to develop Internet of Things connectivity solutions across Nigerian territory, supporting emerging applications in agriculture, logistics, and industrial monitoring.

The new permits position both operators to invest in ground infrastructure, local partnerships, and enterprise contracts, whilst giving Nigeria a wider market opportunity in space internet service delivery. The approval aligns with the NCC’s commercial satellite communications guidelines, a licensing framework designed to draw investment into the sector and advance Nigeria’s drive to open its market to next-generation non-geostationary satellite (NGSO) systems.

The licences come alongside the NCC’s recent approval of a landing permit to Amazon’s Kuiper Systems LLC for its Project Kuiper satellite constellation, authorising deployment of up to 3,236 non-geostationary low Earth orbit satellites using Ka-band frequencies for fixed satellite services, mobile satellite services, and earth stations in motion over the same seven-year period.

The new entrants join an increasingly competitive satellite broadband market. SpaceX’s Starlink, operating through Starlink Internet Service Nigeria Ltd, has already established itself as the country’s third-largest internet service provider, according to NCC subscriber statistics for Q2 2025. The company reached 66,523 subscribers, demonstrating significant resilience and rapid growth in Nigeria’s competitive ISP landscape since its market entry in 2023.