Is Project Kuiper part of Blue Origin?
Blue Origin is a space tourism company owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, but it isn’t actually owned by Amazon or therefore Project Kuiper. Blue Origin is, however, one of the three services that’ll be launching Project Kuiper’s satellites into earth’s orbit. Be ready to wave when it sends its New Glenn launch vehicle up with Kuiper satellites.
How fast will Project Kuiper internet be?
Project Kuiper satellite internet will offer up to 400 Mbps,⁵ with hopes to offer faster download speeds in the future. That’s already faster than what Viasat or HughesNet offer, and 400 Mbps would give even Starlink’s speedy internet service a run for its money.
Of course, raw download speed and throughput aren’t everything. Latency has a big impact on speed and slow your internet experience. Project Kuiper’s LEO satellites should also help minimize that, since, like Starlink’s satellites, they’ll be closer to Earth to begin with. But we’ll also have to see how well Kuiper maintains its systems after launch.
How much will Project Kuiper cost?
Project Kuiper hasn’t revealed how much its satellite internet service will cost for future customers. But the company has been able to create low-cost customer terminals (that’s just the home satellite dish customers will use) and orbiting satellites.
Knowing Amazon’s common marketing techniques, it will likely pass these savings on to its customers to stay competitive with rivals like Starlink.
We don’t know for sure, but it’s possible Amazons Project Kuiper’s goal with its lower-priced equipment is to purposefully compete with Starlink’s up-front equipment costs, which can range from $599 to $2,500. But, of course, we’ll have to see.
Project Kuiper vs. Starlink
If Amazon’s Project Kuiper is giving you SpaceX Starlink vibes, you’re not wrong. We’re pretty sure Jeff Bezos was peeking over at Elon Musk’s paper during study hall.
As things stand, Starlink Internet has proven itself a satellite internet service to rival even Viasat and HughesNet, the two longest-standing satellite internet providers. Project Kuiper, meanwhile, sounds pretty good on paper, but it hasn’t shown up to prom yet. We’ll have to wait and see if it just talks the talk or walks the walk.
In the meantime, you can sit back and watch Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk trade cutting remarks at the punch bowl. Will Starlink satellites triumph? Will Jeff Bezos get Kuiper satellites up in time? Grab that popcorn and join us as we watch the juicy drama play out.
Why is it called Project Kuiper?
Amazon’s Project Kuiper was named for the Kuiper Belt, a ring-shaped region just beyond Neptune’s orbit that contains icy bodies like Pluto and comets. The Kuiper Belt itself was named after Gerard Kuiper, the dutch astronomer who first proposed its existence.
Who is Rajeev Badyal and what does he have to do with Kuiper?
Rajeev Badyal is Project Kuiper’s vice president of technology. He’s got plenty of experience in the satellite internet space, too, since he also used to be the vice president of satellites at Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Should you plan to get Project Kuiper when it’s available?
Even though Project Kuiper looks promising, with possibly cheaper equipment prices and satellite constellation coverage that could rival Starlink, Viasat, and HughesNet, we don’t recommend jumping on Project Kuiper the moment it’s available.
We suggest holding off on Project Kuiper once it’s out for two reasons:
- You want to let Amazon work out the kinks. Every new service runs into unexpected problems once it releases. Let the company work that out while you still (hopefully) have access to an already-reliable satellite service, like Viasat or Starlink.
- Just because Amazon owns Project Kuiper doesn’t mean it’ll work. Amazon has gotten into a lot of different businesses in the past, and while most are successful, not all of them are. The sheer amount of money Amazon has invested in Project Kuiper makes us hopeful, but there’s no proof until you have the pudding. That’s the saying, right?
Of course, we’ll keep this page updated as we receive more information. There’s a lot of time between now and 2029, so check back with us for more details on Project Kuiper in the future.
Our SatelliteInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on research, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. We dig deep to get hard-to-find information on internet plans, fees, and upcoming brand developments. We make this information easy for you to find in one place via our in-depth reviews, and we use our satellite internet industry expertise to analyze the options to help you make the most informed decision for your household.
- Alan Boyle, GeekWire, “Amazon reserves up to 83 rocket launches for Project Kuiper broadband satellite constellation,” April 2022. Accessed June 22, 2022.
- Amazon, “Press release: Amazon Secures Up to 83 Launches from Arianespace, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance for Project Kuiper,” April 2022. Accessed June 22 2022.
- Federal Communications Commission, “FCC Authorizes Kuiper Satellite Constellation,” July 2020. Accessed June 30, 2022.
- Amazon Staff, Amazon, “Amazon receives FCC approval for Project Kuiper satellite constellation,” July 2020. Accessed June 22, 2022.
- Mike Brown, Inverse, “AMAZON PROJECT KUIPER: LAUNCH DATE, SPECS, BETA, PLANS FOR STARLINK ALTERNATIVE,” Accessed June 22, 2022.