There are several contracts that Amazon has entered into as of late including those with Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance, and Arianespace.
The reason for the contracts is to get as many people as possible on board to help with the launch of satellites and other equipment as they relate to Project Kuiper.
The goal of the project that’s been designed by Amazon is to provide internet services to areas that don’t have the connectivity that larger cities have as well as services that are high-speed and that are low-latency.
Some of the customers who could be impacted by the internet services offered include residents in low-income areas, schools, and hospitals.
Dave Limp is the Senior Vice President for Amazon Devices & Services and knows that “there is still lots of work ahead.” However, the milestones that Amazon has set for the project have been reached on schedule.
The agreements that have been made between Amazon and other companies further show that the company wants the project to succeed. Amazon is proud that it’s working with high-level partners in order to deliver the best results for residents and businesses.
Availability
Amazon has been focused on listening to customers and giving them what they want instead of looking at the competitive side and trying to keep up with other internet providers. However, there are a few comparisons that have been seen between Amazon and SpaceX, which is the company’s direct competitor. SpaceX plans to get over 4,400 satellites in orbit over the coming year or two with a recent filing to obtain permission to launch about 30,000 more as well.
Amazon only plans to launch about 3,200 satellites in a lower orbit in hopes that this will allow for faster internet speeds and better connections. Project Kuiper isn’t on board yet with the internet services that it plans to offer while Starlink is connected and ready to go for several areas of the country. However, the equipment that consumers need to connect to Starlink’s service could be delayed for another year.
Cost
Over half of the people in the United States who are connected to the internet spent about $115 throughout the past year. Those who have satellite internet spend about $85 a month. Starlink does have a few charges that consumers will need to pay in order to get connected, such as a deposit of $99 and a fee for the hardware needed to connect that’s $599. Once those fees are paid and consumers are connected, they can expect to pay about $110 a month for their broadband home internet service. Amazon has not released the prices associated with their service but has suggested that it will be affordable for consumers so that they can easily connect to the internet
Faster Service
The internet speed provided by Amazon is supposed to be faster than some other satellite companies. The goal is to provide 400 megabits while Starlink should offer speeds between 100 and 200 megabits per second. There is a premium option offered by Starlink that offers speeds up to 500 megabits per second, but the cost for the faster speed each month is $500.
While more satellites could result in faster internet services and connections for those who live in areas where they can’t connect to other types of internet service, private companies are looking into the possibility of added pollution as well as how the excess amount of “space junk” could impact essential pieces of equipment that are used to monitor what’s going on in space.