Amazon is set to deploy its initial satellites into orbit with the aim of delivering worldwide high-speed internet as part of the company's ambitious plan to establish a significant fleet of satellites, aiming to compete directly. Elon Musk’s Starlink .
The initial 27 satellites for the Jeff Bezos’s The Project Kuiper internet constellation was scheduled to be launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, using an Atlas 5 rocket on Wednesday.
Despite the postponement due to adverse weather conditions, the launch provider United Launch Alliance announced.
The major technology company plans to establish an orbiting network comprising over 3,200 satellites aimed at providing global internet connectivity, particularly targeting isolated and underprivileged locations like war-torn areas and disaster-stricken regions.
The £7.8 billion ($10 billion) initiative is anticipated to span multiple years for completion; however, Amazon intends to expand its presence in the UK online sector following the approval of Project Kuiper by the regulatory body. Ofcom .
"It's significant symbolically to demonstrate that Amazon is now involved in the game with satellites up in orbit," stated Tim Hatt, who leads Research and Consulting at GSMA Intelligence.
It indicates a wider-ranging competition in the satellite sector as numerous firms are now active in low-Earth orbit.
Hiring ex-Starlink employees to launch satellite rival
The satellites prepared for launch represent a significant upgrade from the two prototype satellites that were successfully tested in October 2023, Amazon has said.
To advance the project, the firm led by Bezos recruited a group of engineers who formerly worked at Starlink but were let go by Musk reportedly due to alleged policy violations.
Amazon initiated development of its project in 2019, one year following Starlink's initial launch. However, Amazon believes its key advantage lies in its mass-produced "consumer terminals" which offer a competitive edge over SpaceX through its web services.
The company asserts that these pizza-box sized antennas, designed to connect with Kuiper satellites passing above, aim to be built at a cost of under $500 each.
SpaceX has already deployed over 7,000 Starlink satellites into orbit, catering to more than five million subscribers spanning 125 nations worldwide, also offering services to military and intelligence organizations.
Notably, Starlink has become crucial for communication in conflict-ridden Ukraine. , where hospitals and the military depend on it for their operations.
Project Kuiper aims to enter this market by providing "high-speed, low-latency internet access to nearly any place on Earth."
After being launched into space, the satellites will move at velocities surpassing 17,000 miles per hour (27,359 km/h), circling our planet at an altitude of 392 miles (630 kilometers). They'll circle the globe roughly once every 90 minutes, as stated by Amazon.
Might this enhance your mobile phone service?
Mobile operators have joined forces with satellite network firms "to broaden the scope of their own infrastructure," according to Hatt.
"Coverage from ground-based systems has limitations, and beyond a certain point, achieving full coverage becomes economically unviable," he stated.
So, satellites are viewed as a practical solution to enhance this further by providing a practical alternative. This allows customers of mobile operators to enjoy improved and wider connectivity. Additionally, both the operators and their satellite partners can benefit from revenue generation.
Such collaborations between cellular and satellite companies prove particularly beneficial for organizing emergency aid after natural calamities like hurricanes and earthquakes, especially when terrestrial systems might not be operational.
Ending the SpaceX monopoly
Hatt mentioned that "since Starlink first submitted their application and subsequently launched their initial batch of satellites, the satellite sector has witnessed significant expansion both in terms of the variety of participants and the capability available in Earth’s orbit."
There has been notable expansion specifically in the low earth orbits (LEO) segment, which is the nearest of the three primary satellite-operating orbital layers, encompassing systems like those from SpaceX and Kuiper.
SpaceX’s Starlink leads the pack in this industry, yet it isn’t alone in the race.
In addition to Amazon's Kuiper project, China has plans to launch 13,000 satellites as part of its GuoWang constellation.
Canada's Telesat is anticipated to include an additional 300 satellites, while the German startup Rivada plans to add around 600 satellites.
The EU's Iris initiative comprises 170 satellites, whereas the U.S. military’s Space Development Agency intends to deploy an additional 300 to 500 satellites.
Hatt mentioned that satellite networks are progressively being recognized as "a crucial strategic resource within an all-encompassing corporate strategy." He pointed out that both Starlink and Amazon possess this capability, adding that he believes this trend will continue to develop in the upcoming years.
Joanna Darlington, an executive committee member at the satellite communications firm Eutelsat Group, pointed out that low-orbit constellation satellites represent a cutting-edge technological development.
I mean, this initiative has only been around for three years, so we're just scratching the surface. In the coming years, I anticipate that you'll witness more advanced technologies being integrated into these satellites.