One of Amazon’s most aggressive projects right now is launching a home internet service. Recently, Amazon has started to open up about its plans for its home internet service, currently code-named Project Kuiper.
To help make this service a reality, Amazon is investing $19.5 million into expanding its operations at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In total, Amazon will invest $140 million there to help it build out its ability to launch satellites into space to offer this new internet service.
Look for signups for Amazon Home Internet to start in 2025 but expect there to be a waiting list, much like SpaceX’s Starlink service.
Amazon has also given us a rough idea of the cost of the startup kit that will include the dish you need to receive internet. According to Amazon, the cost to make the standard residential dish will be roughly $400. If Amazon can keep the cost to the consumer around that price, it will be able to undercut SpaceX’s $599 residential startup costs significantly.
To make this all happen, Amazon plans to start launching test satellites later this year with the hope of quickly speeding up the launches in the years to come.
In October 2023, Amazon announced Project Kuiper would launch more than 3,000 satellites into low-earth orbit to offer home internet service. To do this, Amazon announced plans to build the required satellites in Kirkland, Washington.
Amazon has also secured a deal with ULA, Arianespace, and Blue Origin to launch these satellites into space starting in late 2024. With this deal, Amazon hopes to launch multiple prototypes into space to test the system before mass production starts.
Amazon is facing a deadline as the FCC has given it until mid-2026 to have 1,600 satellites in space or lose FCC approval for the project.