What Did Amazon Do This Week? - 19-03-2023 [+45 LINKS]
AMAZON SATELLITE DISHES…NOW SQUARE
Amazon released more information on the satellites that people will need to use the forthcoming broadband satellite network known as 'Project Kuiper'. No availability was mentioned, but users will have a range of options for up to 400Mbps or a high-bandwidth dish that offers up to 1Gbps.
The small unit below is one pound, seven inches square, which will get up to 100Mbps. Amazon positions this as the 'on the go' option. For homes, Amazon has an 11-inch square, one-inch thick and weighing five pounds (2.26kg); excluding the bracket, Amazon expects the price to be less than $400. For that, the average customer will get up to 400Mbps. The commercial terminal is meant for large companies and government organisations and is chonky (19 by 30 inches) for up to 1Gbps speed. All will use 'Prometheus', Amazon's in-house chip. Here's the whole family (source: Amazon):
Aside from the two prototype satellites Amazon plans to hitch to United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket this year, Amazon expects to launch the first Project Kuiper low-Earth orbit satellites in Q1/2 2024. There is no clarity over where the internet will be available or pricing, but Rajeev Badyal, Amazon's vice president of technology for Project Kuiper, says the technology is to connect the unconnected; "Our goal with Project Kuiper is not just to connect unserved and underserved communities, but also to delight them with the quality, reliability, and value of their service." Per the Amazon blog, the team is already scaling its infrastructure in anticipation of building tens of millions of units for customers.
SO WHAT?
Success in this area is anything but certain for Amazon, thanks to Elon Musk’s ‘Starlink’. How important to Project Kuiper to Amazon? +$10 billion important is how much. Amazon views Project Kuiper as a critical part of its long-term growth strategy, as it would allow the company to expand its reach into new markets and provide new services to customers. In particular, Project Kuiper could help Amazon capture a share of the growing demand for internet access in emerging markets, where traditional infrastructure is often inadequate. Moreover, Project Kuiper could help Amazon reduce its reliance on other companies for internet infrastructure, such as satellite operators like Intelsat, SES (who are in merger talks) and terrestrial providers like AT&T and Verizon. By owning and operating its own satellite network, Amazon would have greater control over the quality and cost of its internet service, which could lead to improved profitability and customer satisfaction.
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