Amazon Now Wants To Deploy More Than 4,500 Additional Satellites, Seeks Approval From FCC

Amazon has already planned to invest USD 10 billion in building a satellite network to provide broadband internet. Amazon is working on the Project Kuiper program under which it will provide an internet facility. The company said that it will provide internet in areas where there is very little option of setting up towers. Amazon has already sought approval for deploying two prototype satellites. These satellites have been named KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2. They are expected to be launched by the end of 2022. Now, the tech giant has sought approval for deploying 4,500 additional satellites. This will take the total number of satellites that it plans to deploy to 7,774. It is now awaiting final approval from the Federal Communications Commission.

In its filing, Amazon said that the network of satellite it is setting up will provide internet connectivity to households, businesses, hospitals, and government agencies around the globe. This will include areas where there is no reliable broadband. “Countries are working to improve internet connectivity, but the fact is that only 51 percent of the global population is online. This number is even lower in developing countries. Around 44 percent population of developing countries have access to the internet,” the company said. The company has already got approval for Project Kuiper. The approval was granted in 2020. Amazon will have direct competition with the Starlink network, being developed by Starlink. There are other competitors too in the field.

The two companies are enthusiastically working on the project. Amazon has accused Starlink of not taking several government-imposed rules seriously. It must be noted that Blue Origin of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and SpaceX of Elon Musk are rivals in the private space launch business. Blue Origin had recently challenged NASA’s decision to award USD 2.9 billion Artemis contract to SpaceX. While Amazon is planning to deploy it satellites, SpaceX has already employed more than 1,700. Meanwhile, Boeing to has sought approval to deploy such satellites. Boeing has plans to deploy its satellites in V-band. This will allow Boeing to provide internet at a higher speed. But the drawback is that it runs the risk of interference. This is mainly because of its higher frequency. This is why other companies are not focusing on V-band right now. They have plants of expansion in this band but only in the future. But providing internet from these satellites is definitely going to take quite some time. Users will have to wait at least a couple of years before they will have access to the internet from these satellites.