Amazon's internet service under Project Kuiper set for deployment in five nations by early 2026
Project Kuiper, Amazon's ambitious satellite internet service, is making significant strides towards its goal of providing global coverage. The project, which aims to rival Elon Musk's Starlink, plans to reach the equator in 2027 and achieve full global coverage, including the poles, in as many as 88 to 100 countries by 2028.
The commercial rollout of Project Kuiper is scheduled for early 2026. Amazon expects to have over 200 satellites in low-Earth orbit by year's end to support this rollout. So far, the company has completed four successful launches of Project Kuiper satellites, with another deployment scheduled for later this month.
Amazon has secured more than $100 million from the U.S. government's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to help fund the project. The coverage will initially include the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, and the U.K. After initial deployment, Amazon plans to expand its satellite internet service by the end of 2026 to a total of up to 26 countries, although the specific other countries have not been explicitly named yet.
Project Kuiper Vice President Rajeev Badyal demonstrated the system achieving download speeds of 1,289 Mbps, a significant leap in internet speed for satellite services. Amazon's Kuiper team has faced challenges in ramping up satellite production and delays in launches due to its reliance on commercial providers.
Amazon's Project Kuiper is not just limited to terrestrial applications. The company has struck a deal with JetBlue for Kuiper satellites to power in-flight Wi-Fi starting in 2027, making JetBlue the first airline to announce such a partnership.
As of last month, Starlink, Kuiper's foremost competitor, has surpassed 7 million users across 150 countries and territories. Amazon is planning to launch Project Kuiper, its satellite internet service, by the end of Q1 2026. However, the company has previously targeted late 2025 for the start of Project Kuiper's service but has not specified the markets or provided an exact launch date.
Under the guidance of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, Amazon is required to deploy approximately 1,600 of its planned 3,236 satellites by the end of July 2026, with the rest launched by July 2029. As Project Kuiper moves closer to its goal, it promises to bring high-speed internet to remote and underserved areas, potentially revolutionising the way we access the internet.
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