The aerospace company owned by Amazon founder and American billionaire Jeff Bezos, has announced that it is building a global satellite internet network that could rival Elon Musk’s SpaceX-operated Starlink.
According to the BBC, Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin has announced this plan internet network designed to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink, signaling a new phase in the intensifying competition for control of space-based communications system.
The network, called TeraWave, would involve launching more than 5,400 satellites into orbit, positioning Blue Origin as a serious contender in a market dominated by SpaceX at the moment.
The company says TeraWave will deliver continuous connectivity worldwide with an emphasis on extremely high data. At peak performance, the system is expected to support transfer speeds of up to six terabits per second, far exceeding what current commercial satellite services.
Unlike Starlink, which focuses heavily on consumer internet and mobile phone connectivity, TeraWave is being positioned as an infrastructure-grade network aimed at data centers, large enterprises and government purpose.
However, Even at full deployment, Bezos’s blue Origin’s constellation would remain smaller than Starlink’s. This is because Musk’s SpaceX has already placed thousands of satellites into low Earth orbit, giving a commanding lead in both scale and operational experience. Starlink’s early and aggressive set up has allowed it to secure millions of users around the wide, particularly in regions with limited terrestrial broadband access.
The competitive landscape is further complicated by the current steps taken by Amazon. The company is developing its own satellite broadband system, known as Project Kuiper, which currently has around 180 satellites in orbit and plans to deploy more than 3,000 in total. Kuiper is aimed largely at consumer broadband, placing it in more direct competition with Starlink than Blue Origin’s business-focused TeraWave.
Blue Origin says launching of TeraWave network are expected to begin by the end of the year 2027. The announcement follows a period of growing technical momentum for company. Last November, the company successfully landed a rocket booster on a floating platform at sea, the milestone was previously achieved only by SpaceX.
The company has also drawn public attention through high-profile suborbital missions, including an April flight featuring an all-female crew of celebrities and public figures.
(ref-wonderfulengineering.com)