If you live in a place that has poor broadband connectivity, Amazon could soon have the answer: the company is launching a satellite constellation with the aim of making low -cost Internet available worldwide. The initiative is called Project Kuiper and occurs before what you think, with the first lot of satellites that start the space tomorrow on Wednesday, April 9.
A Spacex Starlink competitor, the objective of the Kuiper project is to put the world online, offering high speed connectivity in remote regions. Amazon says that the service is accessible to offering affordable plans and outdoor antennas.
With the first large -scale satellite implementation taking off this week (if the weather allows), Amazon plans to make the service available to customers “at the end of this year.” As the race is heated for satellite internet supremacy, here is everything you need to know about Project Kuiper.
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What is Project Kuiper?
- Project Kuiper is a planned satellite Internet service of Amazon
- Will use a constellation of thousands of lowland orbit satellites
- Its objective is to provide data coverage in remote regions.
Project Kuiper is the name of the Amazon planned satellite Internet service. The company intends to offer a fast and affordable broadband by launching its own network of thousands of low terrestrial orbit satellites.
One of the objectives of the Kuiper project is to provide Internet service in areas of the world that are beyond the reach of the “traditional terrestrial fiber solutions and wireless connectivity.” Amazon plans to address these “coverage gaps” by investing strongly in satellite technology.
Amazon began working in Project Kuiper in 2018. He received an FCC license in July 2020 to launch and operate satellites. In 2023, two main developments were announced: a processing installation at the Kennedy Space Center and a dedicated satellite production installation in Washington (where the Kuiper project is based).
How does Project Kuiper work?
- Amazon will initially launch a constellation 3,232 satellites
- These orbit lower than traditional geostationary satellites
- Customers connect with terminals installed at home
Project Kuper will use a constellation of low -earth orbit satellites to deliver high -speed Internet to users on the ground. Like the Spacex Starlink rival system, customers must install a small outdoor antenna to connect to the service and communicate with the satellites that pass over.
Amazon initially plans to launch 3,232 satellites. Around 375 miles on the ground, these orbit much closer to the earth than traditional geostationary satellites. This results in a lower latency and a faster data transmission. The constellation is designed to provide global coverage by perfecting the connections between the satellites as they orbit.
Both the satellites and the antennas are based on a single custom chip developed by Amazon, with the name in code “Prometheus”, which manages the processing, traffic and point to point connectivity.
Amazon will also operate a network of stations in the field to manage coverage and data traffic, communicate with satellites and keep them into operation correctly.
When will Project Kuiper available?
- Two prototype satellites launched in 2023
- First large -scale deployment planned for April 2025
- SERVICE DEFORTED FOR SERVICE FOR LATER IN THE YEAR
To take their satellites to space, Amazon is working with commercial launch suppliers such as Spacex and Blue Origin. He has already secured more than 80 heavy lifting releases, enough to put most of his constellation in orbit.
Amazon launched a pair of prototypes satellites in 2023. Now he is ready to begin the complete deployment of his constellation, with the first lot of 27 satellites that will be launched from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday, April 9, aboard an ULA ATLAS V rocket.
Amazon has not confirmed when the service will be extended commercially, but confirmed on April 2 that he hopes to be available “at the end of this year.”
How fast will it be Project Kuiper?
- The standard antenna will admit 400 Mbps connectivity
- The low -cost compact terminal will offer speeds up to 100 Mbps
- The largest antenna offers business users at speeds of 1 Gbps
To start, Amazon has developed three “customer terminals”, each of which offers different connectivity speeds.
The standard antenna is less than 11 square inches and is designed to mount the domestic roof. Amazon states that it will deliver speeds of up to 400 Mbps and cost less than $ 400 (around £ 320 / au $ 633) to produce.
Amazon has also designed a cheaper and more compact antenna that measures 7 square inches and weighs only 1 lb. Designed as a low -cost portable option, this will be the most affordable way for customers to access the service. It will offer Internet speeds up to 100Mbps.
For business and electrical users, as well as telecommunications and the use of government, Amazon has created a larger antenna that can offer up to 1 Gbps.
How much will Project Kuiper cost?
- There are still no confirmed prices
- Amazon says he goes to “affordability”
- The production cost of the standard terminal is less than $ 400
Amazon has not yet confirmed the price of the Kuiper project. However, the company has made it clear that “affordability is a key principle.” The company is adopting a similar satellite internet approach as it did with “low -cost devices such as Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick”, with the aim of connecting as many customers as possible throughout the world.
That is why he has developed a low -cost compact antenna, as well as to maintain the production cost of its standard terminal below $ 400.
The service is likely to be accessible as part of a monthly subscription. Amazon has confirmed that the offer and its prices “can vary from one country to another”, as well as their main membership today.
To give it an idea, the Starlink residential plan (with unlimited data) currently begins at $ 120 / £ 75 / au $ 139 per month, with its Roam plan on the road (limited to the 50 GB data) that returns $ 50 / £ 50 / au $ 80 per month, with the noimite Roam plan that Costa $ 165 / £ 96 / Au $ 195 per month.
Kuiper vs Starlink project: How are they compared?
- Both services use Low Earth orbit satellites
- Starlink is already operational with more than 7,000 satellites
- Project Kuiper is likely to be more affordable once
Both Project Kuiper and Starlink, operated by Spacex, aim to use satellites to provide high -speed Internet connectivity to the remote corners of the world. Each system is based on low terrestrial orbit satellites to achieve low latency data, with users capable of connecting services using a range of terminals.
A key difference is that Starlink is ahead of the Kuiper project. It already has more than 7,000 satellites in operation in orbit. Customers can access their services in innumerable locations at this time buying a Starlink antenna and paying a subscription. Starlink is also testing satellite smartphone connectivity with T-Mobile (below).
Because it has its own rockets, Spacex has more flexibility to implement Starlink satellites. Amazon has to trust third -party launch partners, including Spacex. On the other hand, Amazon can trust its established cloud services network, AWS, to admit back infrastructure -end of its satellite network.
While Project Kuiper is still several months after offering coverage comparable to consumers, it is likely to be the least expensive option once it is in operation. Amazon has made it clear that it wants its satellite Internet service to be affordable, including antenna and connectivity hardware packages.
We will only know how the performance and value of each service is compared once we have carried out an in -depth review of the Kuiper project. But competition is certainly not bad, even if it is among companies administered by two of the richest men in the world.
