Amazom.com Inc. is planning to launch thousands of satellites to provide broadband internet access around the globe.
Named Project Kuiper, the effort aims to provide unserved and underserved communities around the world access to high-speed internet with as less delay as possible, according to Amazon.
Amazon is not the only company to have announced such an initiative. Earlier, Facebook announced a similar initiative where it was planning to launch several satellites this year, while Google is planning to build a network of flying balloons. Both the companies are trying to promote their services to more people as they are nearing saturation point in mature markets.
At the meantime, Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and OneWeb Satellites are also racing towards their goal to expand coverage to around 4 billion people on Earth who do not have access to high-speed, reliable internet. Since the world is becoming more interconnected, it is important for people to have access to the internet in order to stay connected with each other.
First spotted by GeekWire, Amazon filed three sets with International Telecommunications Union that show that the initiative will place 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit.
“This is a long-term project that envisions serving tens of millions of people who lack basic access to broadband internet. We look forward to partnering on this initiative with companies that share this common vision,” Amazon said in a statement.
The ITU, which is responsible for coordinating the use of satellite globally, would have to sign off on the plan. If the project manages to be successful, it will provide data coverage across parts of the planets that account for 95 percent of the world population, reports GeekWire.
If realized, Project Kuiper would mark the first space investment from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. He is also funding Blue Origin LLC, through the sale of $1 billion a year in Amazon stock, is working on developing reusable rockets in order to make space travel commercially viable.
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