On September 5th, the UK telecommunications regulatory authority proposed allowing $Amazon (AMZN.US)$ to operate a satellite network that competes with Elon Musk's "Starlink" to provide high-speed broadband services.

Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, stated in a statement on Thursday that it is seeking opinions on the application from Amazon Kuiper Services Europe SARL and the proposal to grant a license to the regulatory agency before October 4th.

If granted permission, the company will be allowed to provide customers with outdoor antennas, called terminals, that can receive broadband services similar to 4G speeds.

Satellite internet services like Kuiper and Starlink can provide high-speed connections to areas where traditional internet service providers are insufficient, such as rural communities, conflict zones, or areas where infrastructure has been damaged by natural disasters.

Amazon's "Project Kuiper" aims to provide broadband internet services through a network of over 3,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. Amazon is expected to launch its first batch of satellites by the end of 2024 and plans to offer commercial services the following year.

According to media reports last week, Amazon has been granted permission to purchase a small piece of land in New Zealand as part of its space-based internet project. Amazon's overseas investment office stated that Amazon Kuiper New Zealand branch has been established and will be responsible for local operations of the Kuiper project.

In June of this year, it was reported that Amazon is in talks with South African regulatory agencies in hopes of obtaining approval to start providing its Project Kuiper broadband service within the next two years.