Amazon’s low-Earth orbit satellite venture has partnered with South African internet provider Herotel to launch a residential broadband service in 2027.
The service, called evry, is aimed at farms, small towns and rural communities where fibre and conventional wireless networks are often too costly to deploy.
Customer pricing and equipment costs have not yet been announced.
High-speed internet for underserved areas
According to Amazon, evry is expected to deliver download speeds of up to 300Mbps with latency of about 50 milliseconds through its residential antenna.
The service is designed to improve internet access in areas where traditional broadband infrastructure is limited.
Amazon and Herotel share responsibilities
Under the partnership, Amazon Leo will provide the satellite capacity, while Herotel will manage installation, customer support and field operations through its South African network.
Herotel, which is owned by Maziv, serves more than 350,000 customers across more than 550 towns and operates 120 offices nationwide.
The existing network gives Amazon an established local support structure rather than requiring it to develop one from the ground up.
“This collaboration is about breaking down barriers and unlocking opportunity for millions of people who don’t yet have reliable access for work, education, or the services they depend on,” said Amazon chief global affairs and legal officer David Zapolsky.
“We have always believed South Africans outside the major metros deserve reliable, affordable internet,” said Herotel chief executive Van Zyl Botha, adding that evry is intended to serve households beyond the reach of fibre and fixed wireless networks.
Residential rollout follows mobile agreement
Amazon Leo has also signed an agreement with Vodafone to connect mobile base stations in hard-to-reach areas, including through Vodacom in South Africa.
The Herotel partnership extends that approach to residential broadband customers.
Licensing and affordability remain key
The partnership also provides a way for Amazon Leo to operate through Herotel’s existing electronic communications service licence.
Operators are required to be at least 30% owned by historically disadvantaged South Africans to hold an electronic communications service licence.
According to the supplied information, Starlink has not met this requirement, delaying its planned South African launch while proposed licensing changes are considered.
Amazon Leo avoids this requirement by offering the service through Herotel, which already holds the necessary licences.
Trevor Vieweg, Amazon Leo’s head of global business, has confirmed that Amazon will not require its own licence under the arrangement.
While Herotel’s national footprint addresses the distribution challenge, the success of evry will ultimately depend on whether the service is affordable for households and small businesses.
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