Amazon Just Kicked Off Project Kuiper: Here's What We Know About Starlink's Latest Competitor

CNET

3 days ago

Bringing broadband to remote, rural and underserved areas is no easy or cheap feat. Fiber networks are expensive to build out, and cable internet coverage is actually decreasing. Although 5G home internet is growing in availability and popularity, its speeds and reliability are at the mercy of tower proximity and network congestion.
Satellite internet has poised itself as a viable solution to rural broadband woes but not the single-satellite, geostationary services from Hughesnet and Viasat, which have been around for years with minimal improvements. Instead: an entire constellation of high-tech, low-orbiting satellites.
Starlink has shown that, in numbers -- specifically, over 7,000 -- low Earth orbit, or LEO, satellites can deliver widespread broadband availability while lowering latency, increasing speed potential and eliminating restrictive data caps of traditional satellite internet.
The challenge of getting such an ambitious project off the ground requires endless approvals and expert teams working together. In July 2020, Amazon received approval from the Federal Communications Commission to deploy and operate Project Kuiper (pronounced ki -- as in kite -- per) satellites. On April 28, after a delay because of the weather, Amazon finally kicked off Project Kuiper by launching 27 low-Earth orbit satellites.
There's still a way to go before the satellite internet service is ready for home use, but this is a promising step forward for the tech and e-commerce giant as it enters the ultra-competitive satellite industry space. Here's everything to know about Project Kuiper as of May 2025.
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Amazon's Project Kuiper Internet Satellites Take Flight on ULA Rocket Amazon's Project Kuiper Internet Satellites Take Flight on ULA Rocket
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Amazon's Project Kuiper Internet Satellites Take Flight on ULA Rocket
What is Project Kuiper?
Project Kuiper is Amazon's initiative to increase broadband availability worldwide by deploying thousands of low-orbiting satellites that send and receive internet signals worldwide. The service is designed for residential and commercial applications, offering a high-speed connection for use in homes, businesses, government agencies, and other institutions, particularly those in underserved areas.
Amazon has made an effort to emphasize Project Kuiper as "affordable broadband." Though we're not sure what the monthly or up-front costs will be, expect it to be competitively priced compared to Starlink. Amazon made a point of emphasizing that the equipment will be accessible, design-wise and cost-wise.
In addition to thousands of advanced LEO satellites, approximately 7,000 orbiting somewhere between 367 to 391 miles high, Project Kuiper will leverage a network of ground-based antennas, fiber connections and customer terminals to deliver service.
Amazon
Amazon claims that the standard customer terminal, which you would use to receive fixed home internet service, has the potential to deliver speeds up to 400 megabits per second. That's a good deal faster than current speed expectations from Starlink (25 to 100Mbps with standard service). Commercial terminals boast an even faster speed potential, up to 1 gigabit per second.
Sounds great. So, when can I sign up? Not for another year or so, at least.
When will Project Kuiper internet be available?
Once a few hundred satellites are in orbit, the ability to broadcast broadband doesn't take long, though Amazon has not yet announced an official start date for service.
"We plan to begin rolling out Project Kuiper commercial service next year [2025], starting with service demonstrations for our earliest enterprise customers, then consumer beta testing and then general availability later in the year," a spokesperson from Amazon said.
So, Project Kuiper's home internet service could arrive sometime in late 2025. Don't plan to cancel your current internet service just yet. Not everyone across the US will be eligible to sign up right away.
Regional availability will vary
Project Kuiper's satellite fleet will operate within 56 degrees north and south of the equator. That covers most of North America (but excludes much of Alaska), and nearly all of South America, plus a great deal of Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe.
Not all projected coverage areas will be immediately eligible for service at launch. Amazon hasn't yet revealed which locations will be the first to receive eligibility, but did state that "regions will come online quickly as we add satellites to the constellation."
So far, so good for Project Kuiper
Amazon has successfully launched the first test satellites for its Project Kuiper broadband satellite network.
Amazon
Project Kuiper launched two prototype satellites in October 2023 and, within 30 days of launch, reportedly achieved a 100% success rate. The satellites were later intentionally removed from orbit in May 2024 as part of Project Kuiper's commitment to space safety and sustainability.
In December 2023, Project Kuiper secured 80 rockets from four launch providers: Arianespace, SpaceX (yes, the parent company of Starlink), ULA and, of course, the Jeff Bezos-founded Blue Origin. Amazon launched its first 27 rockets into orbit on April 28. The rocket acquisition, launch and FCC approvals set Project Kuiper up to begin offering broadband for commercial and residential use sometime in 2025.
CNET will keep you updated on significant developments, including when and where Amazon's Project Kuiper internet will be available for residential use in the US, what speeds you can expect and how much it will cost.