Project Kuiper broadband services set to be offered in South America by Vrio

Vrio Corporation, the parent company of DirecTV Latin America and Sky Brasil, has teamed up with Project Kuiper, Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite broadband network, to provide internet connectivity in seven South American countries. The agreement aims to offer high-speed internet services to residential customers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.

This collaboration will utilize Project Kuiper’s network to deliver fast and reliable internet to areas that are often challenging and costly to serve. By leveraging Project Kuiper’s low-latency, high-bandwidth satellite network, DirecTV and Sky will be able to offer nationwide coverage in each country, reaching areas where traditional connectivity options like fiber optics or fixed wireless are not practical due to infrastructure limitations.

Darío Werthein, president of Vrio, expressed excitement about the partnership, highlighting the company’s commitment to bridging the technology gap and digital divide in the region. He emphasized the importance of providing internet access to promote community development and innovation.

Panos Panay, Amazon’s senior vice president for devices and services, underscored the impact of Project Kuiper in enabling access to reliable broadband internet for millions of households worldwide. He emphasized the significance of affordable broadband access in empowering individuals to learn, do business, shop, and enjoy online entertainment.

Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology and head of Project Kuiper at Amazon, reiterated the network’s mission to deliver fast and affordable broadband to underserved areas. He expressed enthusiasm about working with Vrio to bring connectivity services to customers across South America.

Project Kuiper recently conducted a successful Protoflight mission, testing two prototype satellites. The network is poised to deploy its satellite constellation in the coming months and conduct service demonstrations with Vrio and other partners later this year. This initiative marks a significant step towards expanding internet access and connectivity in the region.