Competition for BT Group PLC (LSE:BT.A) and Virgin Media O2 is already hot and is soon set to get hotter after the UK regulator approved an application for satellite broadband from Amazon.com Inc's (NASDAQ:AMZN) Kuiper platform.
Ofcom said it has granted a non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) licence to Amazon Kuiper Services Europe to provide satellite connectivity services in the UK, similar to that offered by Elon Musk's Starlink, a subsidiary of his SpaceX rocket company.
Satellite services transmit data to and from space, typically to provide internet access to rural or remote areas where there may not be other options, the regulator said.
Radiofrequency spectrum nerds might be keen to know that Amazon's Kuiper, which applied for its UK licence last July, has been permitted to operate in Ka-band frequencies between 27.5-27.9405 GHz, 28.4545-28.9485 GHz, and 29.5-30 GHz.
Ofcom also announced today announced it is "releasing" further radio spectrum in the 27.5-30 GHz (28 GHz) and 32 GHz bands, which it said are "particularly suitable" for satellite connectivity services and fixed links wireless systems, all of which provide connectivity in areas where fibre broadband is not available.
"Providing more spectrum for these purposes will enable service providers to increase their capacity, serve more customers, supporting innovation and growth," the telecoms regulator said.
A decision on making a further spectrum available could also be taken once there is further evidence on uptake of existing available spectrum.
Nina Percival, Ofcom's director of spectrum management and authorisation, said: “In line with our mission to support innovation, investment and growth, today’s decisions provide further opportunity for new services delivering better connectivity for people and businesses in the UK - and particularly to those in harder to reach rural communities.”