{"id":17654,"date":"2020-07-30T18:21:55","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T10:21:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/amazon-vows-to-invest-10b-in-kuiper-satellites-after-getting-fccs-go-ahead\/"},"modified":"2020-07-30T18:21:55","modified_gmt":"2020-07-30T10:21:55","slug":"amazon-vows-to-invest-10b-in-kuiper-satellites-after-getting-fccs-go-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/amazon-vows-to-invest-10b-in-kuiper-satellites-after-getting-fccs-go-ahead\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon vows to invest $10B in Kuiper satellites after getting FCC\u2019s go-ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Satellite
An artist\u2019s conception shows a constellation of satellites in orbit. (Credit: OneWeb)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Federal Communications Commission has authorized Amazon\u2019s plans for a Project Kuiper constellation of 3,236 satellites that would provide broadband internet access across a wide swath of the globe \u2014 but on the condition that it doesn\u2019t unduly interfere with previously authorized satellite ventures.<\/p>\n

In response, Amazon said it would invest more than $10 billion in the project. \u201cWe\u2019re off to the races,\u201d Dave Limp, Amazon\u2019s senior vice president of devices and services, said in a statement. (We\u2019re passing along the full statement below.)<\/p>\n

The FCC\u2019s non-interference requirements and other conditions are laid out in a 24-page order that was adopted on Wednesday and released today. The ruling addresses objections registered by Amazon\u2019s rivals \u2014 including SpaceX, OneWeb and Telesat.<\/p>\n

Project Kuiper\u2019s satellites are to be launched in five phases, and service would begin once Amazon launched the first 578 satellites. Under the terms of the FCC\u2019s order, Amazon will have to launch half of its satellites by mid-2026, and the rest of them by mid-2029.<\/p>\n

Amazon had sought to vie on an equal footing with constellation operators whose plans had been previously authorized by the FCC, but the commission said that in fairness, Project Kuiper would have to give deference to those plans. The FCC said that it expected Amazon\u2019s mega-constellation rivals to act in good faith to resolve radio interference concerns.<\/p>\n

Although Amazon has said in the past that the design of its system is still under consideration, the order released today provides some insight into that design. The satellites will be built to deorbit themselves within 355 days after they complete their mission, so as to reduce orbital debris. Also, the beams used to send and receive data will be focused directionally, so as to minimize interference.<\/p>\n

The details will have to be cleared with the FCC as well as the International Telecommunication Union once they\u2019re available. The FCC also urged Amazon to work with the National Science Foundation to minimize impacts on radio astronomy.<\/p>\n

Amazon revealed its plans for Project Kuiper just last year. It\u2019s currently listing more than 100 open positions for the team, with most of those jobs in Bellevue, Wash. The company plans to move the team to a new headquarters in nearby Redmond once that space is ready.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not clear when Project Kuiper aims to start service, but the FCC\u2019s authorization suggests it\u2019d be sometime before 2026. And although Amazon hasn\u2019t specified how its satellites would be launched, it\u2019s worth noting that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos owns a separate space venture called Blue Origin.<\/p>\n

Amazon plans to use Project Kuiper not only to offer broadband internet service to billions of potential customers around the globe who are currently underserved, but also to facilitate Amazon\u2019s other lines of business, ranging from online retail sales to Amazon Web Services\u2019 cloud computing platform (and most likely Amazon Prime\u2019s streaming-video offerings).<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s order enables Amazon to move forward with its ambitious plans, but Project Kuiper will have to navigate a careful regulatory path. It\u2019ll have to accommodate previously approved satellite projects as well as the ITU\u2019s requirements for the Ka-band frequencies that Kuiper plans to use.<\/p>\n