A seven-page Ofcom filing, first revealed by the Sunday Telegraph, shows Amazon intends to launch a satellite broadband service by 2027, using its proposed Project Kuiper constellation to offer British users internet access from Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
Amazon has requested access to spectrum bands to support its first-generation Kuiper satellite system, which the company said would provide “reliable internet connectivity to homes, schools, hospitals, libraries, and government facilities, both at fixed locations and on the move”.
Subscribe today for free
Amazon has specifically requested access to spectrum ranges including space-to-Earth (37.5 to 42.5 GHz) and Earth-to-space (47.2 to 50.2 GHz and 50.4 to 50.4 to 51.4 GHz) to support its Kuiper system of LEO satellite constellations that connect to customer terminals, ground stations, and AWS communication infrastructure.
Amazon launched its Kuiper Systems subsidiary in 2019, naming the satellite business after the Kuiper belt, a ring-shaped formation of space matter orbiting Neptune. The satellites are fired into LEO via Blue Origin, the rocket company created by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Amazon told Ofcom it initially plans to offer Kuiper to customers via terminals before exploring options for direct-to-device services later. The UK regulator is currently conducting a consultation regarding direct-to-device connections, which is expected to be completed later this year.
Amazon told the regulator that commercial availability for Kuiper is expected to begin in 2025. The company plans to also offer services to support disaster relief, humanitarian aid, and peace-keeping missions — similar to how Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite service helped restore mobile connectivity in parts of North Carolina hit by Hurricane Helene last October.
Amazon said its Starlink rival will benefit UK users by placing gateways close to UK data centres, such as reducing latency for virtual or augmented reality applications.
Starlink has been available in the UK since 2021; however, Amazon is joining the growing list of companies eyeing to rival it in the LEO satellite broadband space, like the SpaceRISE consortium featuring prominent European satellite network operators and telcos.
The Elon Musk-owned business received several major deployment green lights in 2024, including its long-awaited sign-off for its direct-to-phone satellite internet service from the Federal Communications Commission.
RELATED STORIES
EU launches IRIS² to challenge Starlink's global satellite dominance
Amazon Project Kuiper launches first prototype satellites
AWS launches Trainium2 instances, teases next-gen custom silicon
