2024 and 2025 will see a huge battle for the future of Internet services that could massively impact how we cut the cord.
Starlink is one of the few options for Internet services in rural America. But Amazon is preparing to mass launch satellites and start testing in the second half of 2024 with a limited public launch in 2025.
Amazon is reportedly planning on offering a less expensive satellite service than SpaceX’s service. The goal for Amazon is to get more Americans—and people around the world—online with affordable high-speed Internet in order for them to use Amazon services.
Pricing: Amazon vs Starlink
For some time now, Amazon has wanted to offer a less expensive satellite Internet option. Having its kits cost under $400 to manufacture would allow the online giant to sell the kits significantly cheaper than the $599.99 Starlink charges. Companies often sell starter kits at or near cost to lure in as many customers as possible to sign up for the monthly fees. Sadly, we still do not know the cost Amazon plans to charge for monthly service. SpaceX is currently $120 a month for most customers.
Speeds: Amazon vs Starlink
Starlink says its average Internet speed is over 100 Mbps.
We will need to wait to see what Amazon’s average speeds will be, but here is the advertised service:
The standard version will come with an 11″ square antenna and will offer speeds up to 400 Mbps down. This will be perfect for most households.
If you need more bandwidth, Amazon has an 11″ by 30″ pro antenna that can offer speeds up to 1 Gbps, which will be perfect for companies or large households.
If speed is not that important, and you want something you can easily travel with, you may want Amazon’s ultra-portable antenna that is just 7″ square and offers speeds up to 100 Mbps.
These speeds are considerably faster than older satellite Internet services and, with the pro version, are significantly faster than Starlink’s average satellite speeds right now. The question now is what will the speeds be like once the service is in public use.
No matter what happens, these two Internet companies fighting each other will be good for the end user. Hopefully it drives down the price and improves the performance of Internet available to rural Americans.
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