Amazons Project Kuiper is expected to compete with Starlink, but when? | Allconnect

Rural and remote areas are notorious for having little to no internet access, and if they do, connections are not comparable to those of the rest of the country.That’s where satellite internet comes into play.It’s the only type of internet that is pretty much available everywhere, so it has served as a solution to the lack of internet access in unserved and underserved areas.

Unfortunately, traditional satellite speeds are much slower for a much higher price than other internet types such as cable, fiber and 5G.LEO changes the game Traditional satellite providers include Hughesnet and Viasat, which use geostationary satellites orbiting over 20,000 miles above Earth.The satellites’ massive distance from Earth is the main reason for satellite internet’s notoriously slow speeds and high latency.

Enter Starlink — a fairly new player in the satellite internet game that has launched over 7,000 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, which orbit less than 400 miles above Earth to deliver faster speeds and lower latency.Amazon’s Project Kuiper aims to achieve the same feat: Launching its own LEO satellite constellation to offer high-speed, low-latency satellite internet access.Unlike Starlink, however, Project Kuiper’s constellation has yet to be launched.

What is Amazon’s Project Kuiper? Project Kuiper is an Amazon satellite internet initiative that aims to deploy over 3,000 LEO satellites and eventually provide widespread internet access to residential and commercial consumers.Like Starlink, Project Kuiper is part of a solution to the lack of broadband availability in unserved and underserved areas, as well as slow speeds and high latency from traditional geostationary satellite providers.What is Project Kuiper’s status? Project Kuiper has been entrenched in the testing phase for a couple of years now, but it has achieved 100% success in its Protoflight mission, in which two Kuiper satellites were sent to space for 30 days.

The next step is launching the mega constellation of satellites, which will then bring satellite internet to consumers.The wait won’t be long.The first operational launch of Project Kuiper is expected to occur in the next couple of months through the United Launch Alliance (ULA).

Amazon has reportedly purchased 46 launches with ULA, and more with Arianespace and Blue Origin.The launches are set to occur throughout 2025, with each batch of satellites eventually adding up to Kuiper’s planned constellation of 3,236 satellites.What will Project Kuiper satellite internet look like for consumers? There is no confirmation of what exactly Project Kuiper’s internet prices will look like, but Amazon has announced expected speeds of up to 400 Mbps for consumers once the service is up and running.

It’s safe to say, however, that it could be an expensive service despite the company’s categorization of Kuiper as an affordable internet option.Starlink’s standard plan starts at a whopping $120.00/mo., with a hefty equipment fee of over $300.00.While Project Kuiper may in fact offer internet for less than that, the equipment fees that come with satellite internet service are not a new development.

Even traditional providers like Hughesnet and Viasat have hefty equipment and installation costs.Even so, the increased speeds and lower latency that come with LEO satellite service will hopefully make that cost a bit more worth your while.We’ll keep you updated on Project Kuiper’s upcoming launches and everything you need to know about the new service.

Make sure to check our news and resource hubs for recent broadband industry developments and information.Written by: Camryn Smith Camryn Smith started writing for Allconnect in July 2022 and has developed broadband expertise across the landscape, including home internet providers, plans, pricing and equipment, as well as internet technolog… Read more Edited by: Anine Sus Editor I Read bio Related pages Satellite internet What to read next Read more Featured 2030 is the U.S.target date for ‘Internet for All’ Robin Layton — 3 min read Featured Understanding satellite internet: Setting up your home network Jessica Vandesande — 3 min read Featured Cable is still the most available internet option Robin Layton — 4 min read Latest Friday, March 14, 2025 Amazon’s Project Kuiper is expected to compete with Starlink, but when? Camryn Smith — 3 min read Friday, March 14, 2025 Xfinity plan upgrades bring faster speeds to millions of internet customers Camryn Smith — 3 min read Monday, March 10, 2025 Best internet outage maps and resources Camryn Smith — 4 min read