Amazon Project Kuiper To Bring High-Speed Internet to the UK’s Hardest-to-Reach Areas

The Amazon Project Kuiper is working towards bringing satellite broadband connectivity to the UK within the next two years. This initiative will help provide internet connectivity to areas in the UK where there is currently poor broadband connectivity and help boost internet speed in the region.

Better Broadband Connectivity Thanks To Amazon Project Kuiper

To see the success of this new initiative, Amazon is currently seeking increased access to the UK’s radio waves. According to Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, increasing access to the region’s radio wave “over the next one to two years” will help expand “the capabilities of its first-generation system.”

Additionally, Amazon will work closely with Ofcom, the UK’s independent regulator for communications services. In a statement with Ofcom, Amazon expresses its conviction that Project Kuiper will help “to reach hard-to-serve areas within the UK”.

By doing this, Amazon aims to bridge the digital divide within the UK created as a result of the lack of access to stable internet connection in some areas. This will unlock more room for opportunities and growth in businesses within the UK.

Amazon Project Kuiper will launch over 3000 small satellites into low-Earth orbit to ensure stable satellite broadband connectivity. For the early stages of project Kuiper providing satellite broadband connectivity in the UK, Amazon might use terminals to deliver connection to users.

As the service keeps growing in popularity in the UK, Amazon might then switch over to using direct-to-device service. This service will help deliver satellite broadband connectivity directly to the smartphones of the service’s users.

Direct-to-device service might also “present a secure communication option for government, defence, and emergency response use cases” as Amazon claims. Within the year, we expect to see the launch of the first batch of satellites in the Amazon Project Kuiper line-up.

Amazon To Compete Directly With Starlink

Originally launched into space in May 2019, Elon Musk’s Starlink has become the first satellite broadband service provider choice for millions. Currently, Starlink has over 7000 satellites in low-Earth orbit serving over 4.6 million customers from over 100 countries.

These figures show that Starlink is way ahead of any other competitor in the satellite broadband connectivity industry. However, Jeff Bezos is betting big on Amazon’s Project Kuiper to take on Starlink, hence becoming a solid alternative for millions worldwide.

The first launch of Amazon Project Kuiper satellites was slated for 2024 but postponed to 2025. This year, we expect to see the launch of the first batch of Amazon Project Kuiper satellites into low-Earth orbit to provide internet connectivity for millions worldwide.

One of the first regions to have access to the Amazon Project Kuiper satellite’s broadband connectivity once launched will be the UK. The performance of this satellite broadband service in the UK will determine its growth in other regions in the world.