Bezos takes on Musk: Battle for satellite Internet heats up in Spain
The second richest person in the world challenges the first. The government in Madrid granted Amazon Kuiper, a company owned by Jeff Bezos, a licence to provide broadband internet services in Spain. This means competition for Elon Musk's Starlink.
"The business battle between the two richest people in the world is moving to Spain," said the newspaper "La Vanguardia".
Amazon Kuiper is a project owned by Jeff Bezos's Amazon, aimed at providing satellite broadband internet. According to sources close to the company, the Spanish government gave its approval to operate in the country at the beginning of December 2024.
Bezos's company, whose grandfather hails from the Spanish province of Valladolid, is finalising its market entry to compete directly with Elon Musk and his Starlink system, which is active in most of the country.
Focus on rural areas
Amazon Kuiper plans to start operations in Spain this year, but first, it needs to set up communication equipment for the satellite signal.
Bezos's company intends to specialise in providing internet in rural and sparsely populated areas, which could be a significant competitive advantage.
"The fight for customers in Spain between the two American giants continues," concluded "La Vanguardia".
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Elon Musk leads with a fortune valued at 348 billion pounds, while Jeff Bezos is in second place with an estimated wealth of 195 billion pounds.
