Australia's state-owned 'National Broadband Network' has chosen to collaborate with the untested Amazon Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite program, rather than Musk's already operational Starlink, to continue providing satellite network services to remote areas. NBN Co, the Australian National Broadband Network company, issued a joint statement with Amazon, stating that starting next year, Kuiper's satellites will gradually replace two satellites owned by the Australian government, which are scheduled to be retired in 2032. The purpose of this contract is to allow approximately 300,000 households and businesses that are not covered by the ground network of the Australian National Broadband Network to also enjoy high-speed satellite network services. Kuiper connects thousands of low Earth orbit satellites using optical links and communicates with ground antennas and other connection points. This transaction means that Starlink, which has a much larger operational scale, has missed out on the opportunity. Starlink is a division of SpaceX, the space exploration technology company owned by American tech billionaire Elon Musk. Since its launch in 2019, Starlink has deployed 8,000 low Earth orbit satellites, making it currently the world's largest satellite network service provider. NBN Co did not specify the reasons for choosing Kuiper, only stating that the decision followed a rigorous procurement process. Gavin Williams, the company's regional and remote services development director, said, 'Amazon Kuiper has not yet launched services in Australia or globally, but it has reportedly invested approximately $15 billion (around NT$450 billion) in this program.'