Amazon Cleared for Space Launch, but Broadband Venture Questions Remain

Amazon's plan to spend more than $10 billion on a constellation of more than 3,200 low-Earth-orbit, internet-beaming satellites won Federal Communications Commission approval. But industry insiders are guessing about which customers the company plans to serve. Amazon told regulators its satellites could help bridge the digital divide by bringing high-speed broadband to areas that lack competitive internet service. The company promised in its FCC application to “leverage its considerable engineering resources, global operational capabilities and cost-conscious approach” to give customers “an affordable, high-quality broadband experience.” Project Kuiper has so far only secured US approval for its satellite network and will need other regulators’ assent before it can provide service in more countries. The system’s design would cover most of the US except for parts of Alaska. Some telecom industry insiders assumed Amazon would use its satellites to connect far-flung data centers and offer fat data pipes to major customers in the corporate world and government sector.