Amazon’s Starlink rival, Project Kuiper, is nearing takeoff. The company announced today that a new $120 million satellite processing facility is under construction at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Amazon plans to launch its first satellites “in the coming months,” followed by its first customers next year. So what is Amazon’s satellite internet project aiming at?
Project Kuiper is the biggest competitor of the satellite internet project Starlink!
Like Elon Musk’s Starlink, Project Kuiper aims to provide fast and cost-effective satellite broadband to areas “underserved or underserved by conventional internet and communication options.” Project Kuiper started ventures in 2018. Then two years later the FCC got a satellite license. Now the project is nearing the end and preparing for takeoff.
The company plans to create a constellation of 3236 satellites to provide uninterrupted broadband coverage to rural users. Amazon hasn’t announced consumer pricing yet, but it points to budget-friendly plans, saying “affordability is the core tenet of Project Kuiper.” The company also plans to offer multiple speed/pricing options.
Kuiper’s satellites will be assembled at a new “state-of-the-art manufacturing facility” in Kirkland, Washington, by the end of 2023. The new satellite processing facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida will receive the satellite shipments and make final preparations before their commercial deployment. Amazon says it’s been testing safe so far with approval from Blue Origin, Arianespace, and United Launch Alliance (ULA).
Most units working on the project will be stationed at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station near Florida’s new processing facility. Amazon said it has achieved the expected job creation for Project Kuiper. It is said that more than 1,400 people are currently working on the project. The company’s initiative is expected to support thousands of suppliers and highly skilled businesses in states like Alabama, Florida and Colorado going forward.
So what do you think about Amazon’s satellite internet project? You can share your thoughts with us in the comments section.
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