Amazon will spend $10B to battle Elon Musk in the internet-from-space race
The FCCC just approved Project Kuiper for launch
Amazon is yet to launch one of its own satellites
First announced inApril 2019, Project Kuiper will indeed compete with similar projects in SpaceX’s Starlink andthe UK-backed OneWeb, but Amazon is way behind.
SpaceX, which plans to launch 12,000 satellites in total, has so far deployed 540 (supposedly enough to start basic operations), and OneWeb 74—all while Project Kuiper’s lack of government approval has kept its satellite count to exactly zero.
TheFCC docs showAmazon intends to deploy Project Kuiper in five phases, with the service first coming online once 578 satellites are in the sky.
[Read: Elon Musk’s 420th Starlink satellite is more than just a weed joke]
As noted byBusiness Insider, Project Kuiper must launch 50% of its planned constellation within the next six years (by July 30, 2026), and the rest within nine (July 30, 2029).
If it fails, Amazon could lose its license.
Story byDavid Canellis
David is a tech journalist who loves old-school adventure games, techno and the Beastie Boys. He’s currently on the finance beat.David is a tech journalist who loves old-school adventure games, techno and the Beastie Boys. He’s currently on the finance beat.
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