Mar 15, 2023 12:30:00

Amazon announces the antenna of the satellite Internet 'Project Kuiper' that will be a rival of Starlink, will the service start in 2024?

On March 14, 2023, Amazon announced the antenna used by customers in the satellite internet service '

Project Kuiper ', which is attracting attention as a rival to Starlink provided by SpaceX. There are three types of Project Kuiper antennas in total, and customers can select according to the application, from antennas with excellent portability of up to 100 Mbps to high-performance antennas that provide up to 1 Gbps.

Here's your first look at Project Kuiper's low-cost customer terminals
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/innovation-at-amazon/heres-your-first-look-at-project-kuipers-low-cost-customer-terminals

Amazon reveals its squared-off Project Kuiper satellite internet dishes - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/14/23639450/amazon-project-kuiper-satellite-dish-internet

Amazon unveils three satellite user terminals, plans broadband service in 2024 | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/03/amazon-says-its-satellite-home-internet-terminals-cost-under-400-to-produce/

Project Kuiper is Amazon's planned low-orbit satellite network service, which will provide high-speed and affordable Internet through satellites to rural areas and communities not covered by conventional communications infrastructure. Since satellite Internet service requires customers to install antennas for communication, Amazon said that it tried to reduce the size and price of antennas.

Amazon said in a blog on March 14, ``Project Kuiper plans to serve tens of millions of customers, so at the start of the project, the construction cost will be $ 500 (about 67,000 yen). We have set an ambitious goal of designing a customer terminal that is less than 100%.” Project Kuiper engineers achieved this milestone in 2020by inventing a new antenna architecture that is smaller and lighter than traditional designs . Since then, the team has continued to innovate to make the device design even smaller, more affordable and more capable.'

And Amazon introduces the three types of antennas it offers with Project Kuiper. The first is standard antennas for residential and small businesses. The antenna is less than 11 inches square, less than 1 inch thick, and weighs less than 5 pounds, excluding the mounting bracket. The communication speed is up to 400 Mbps, and Amazon plans to offer each antenna for less than $ 400 (about 53,600 yen).

The second is a small antenna measuring less than 7 inches square and weighing about 1 pound. Although it is a size that can be easily carried, the communication speed is up to 100 Mbps, and the image released by Amazon is intended for outdoor use.

In addition, Project Kuiper will also provide a large antenna that is 19 inches (about 48 cm) x 30 inches (about 76 cm) in size and provides a maximum communication speed of 1 Gbps in order to meet the needs of higher standards.

Amazon has also announced that the antenna used by Project Kuiper will be equipped with its own baseband chip codenamed 'Prometheus'. Prometheus also has the processing performance as a cellular base station, and is used not only for customer-side antennas, but also for Project Kuiper satellites and terrestrial gateway antennas, and each satellite can handle up to 1Tbps of traffic. .

'Project Kuiper's goal is not only to connect underserved and underserved communities, but also to improve service quality, reliability and value,' said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for Project Kuiper. It's about making them happy,' he said.

In addition, Amazon has decided to launch Project Kuiper's prototype satellite in the first quarter of 2023, and on February 8, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the launch. At one time, it was suggested that rival SpaceX rockets could be used for launch , but the blog states that they will use United Launch Alliance rockets.

Amazon's satellite Internet ``Project Kuiper'' will be launched in the first quarter of 2023-GIGAZINE

In addition, Amazon claims that it plans to build a satellite manufacturing facility in Kirkland, Washington, USA and start mass production of satellites by the end of 2023. The company plans to launch its first production satellite in the first half of 2024 and provide access to the service to early Project Kuiper customers in 2024.