Perhaps not everyone will know what the Amazon's Kupier project. In reality, only in the United States do we hear a lot about it, but it could also have (positive) repercussions in the rest of the world. It is an initiative to provide high-speed internet connectivity globally through a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. This initiative was announced by Amazon in April 2019, and predicts the constellation to include several hundred satellites.
The United States has given the green light to Amazon to launch Kupier satellites. Here's what it means and what the e-commerce giant wants to do
The Amazon Kuiper project aims to provide services of low-cost connectivity to rural and remote communities around the world, as well as improve internet access for people who do not currently have access to a reliable connection or who pay high rates for broadband connectivity. It is still under development and there is still no precise information on the launch date or cost of the services. However, Amazon has invested large financial resources and hired a team of experienced engineers to push this ambitious project forward.
But not only that: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States has approved Amazon's order of launch and operate 3.230 Project Kuiper satellites in low Earth orbit. This decision was granted after the US company agreed to measures to combat space debris and collisions with other equipment.
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In a public statement, the FCC said that “i[project] Kuiper begins deployment of its constellation to bring high-speed broadband connectivity to customers worldwide“, noting that this novelty should directly benefit people looking for more competition in satellite Internet services. This novelty places Jeff Bezos' company as direct competitor of Starlink services, the company of Elon Musk known for handling satellite internet in remote regions.
However, the government authority requires Amazon to publish a semi-annual report on the operation of the service and on the methods adopted for avoid collisions with other telecommunications satellites. The launch of the Kuiper satellites takes place in collaboration with the companies Arianespace, Blue Origin and the United Launch Alliance (ULA).
