Amazon has been working on the satellite internet project since 2019. (Photo: Amazon)
The deal between the two tech companies is said to have taken place in April. Amazon bought the team for satellite-based internet technology from Facebook. After six years of development, Mark Zuckerberg’s company is thus burying its plans to set up its own network in orbit. A spokesman confirmed this. Project Kuiper, on the other hand, could get a boost from the deal, speculate the colleagues from The Information who first reported on it.
More on the subject
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- New ozone hole due to internet satellites? Researchers warn against Starlink and others
- Competition for Starlink and Amazon – China is also planning a satellite network for the Internet
Amazon: 500 + X working on Kuiper network
The Kuiper Systems company from Jef f Bezos already has FCC approval to launch 3,236 low-earth orbit satellites into orbit. This is what Atlas V missiles are used for, which are expected to transport the cargo into space from 2023 onwards. The service goes online after just 578 pieces, according to the company’s headquarters. Around 500 specialists are reportedly working to span high-speed Internet across the globe. In addition, there are now physicists, hardware and software engineers who were working on the same task for Facebook. The talents also bring intellectual and factual property with them – for example in the form of patents, equipment and systems. Amazon had announced that it would put around 10 billion dollars into the Kuiper project, how much of it has now flowed to Facebook is not known.
Satellite Internet: Starlink is way ahead
While Kuiper Systems would like to see its satellites in orbit by 2029, its main competitor Starlink is already further. The project by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company has already deployed around 1,800 units – that’s enough for global coverage, according to project manager Gwynne Shotwell. In the end, 55,000 pieces should ensure very fast Internet around the globe. Elon Musk recently stated that there are currently 69,000 users. He is aiming for half a million customers by mid-2022. According to his estimates, the construction will cost 20 to 30 billion US dollars. In addition to Starlink and Amazon, Oneweb, Geely and the Satellite Network Group of the Chinese state are in the process of setting up their own satellite networks for broadband Internet.
