Starlink, Musk's satellite internet service, has experienced an outage lasting for more than two hours.
In the ever-evolving world of technology, two major players are vying for dominance in the satellite internet market: SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper.
As of mid-2025, Project Kuiper has officially commenced full-scale deployment. With over 54 production satellites launched, the constellation aims to reach a total of 3,236 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites operating across three orbital shells at altitudes between 590 km and 630 km. The FCC has set deployment milestones requiring half of these satellites to be in orbit by July 2026 [1][2][3].
Technology-wise, Kuiper satellites employ advanced Hall-effect thrusters for propulsion and incorporate innovative optical inter-satellite laser links (OISL) capable of transmitting data at 100 Gbps over thousands of kilometers. Amazon plans to leverage its AWS ground station network to support the satellite ground infrastructure. The service will offer multiple user terminal designs for different market segments with speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps [2].
Comparing Kuiper to Starlink, the market leader with over 6 million users and thousands of satellites already operational, Starlink has a significant head start. However, Kuiper has secured extensive launch agreements and an investment of around $23 billion dedicated to constellation build-out and associated infrastructure [3][4]. Kuiper terminals are designed to be competitive, with a focus on affordability and versatility across consumer and enterprise applications [2][3].
Starlink satellites orbit Earth at low altitudes, providing customers with compact receiving and transmitting stations for ground access. Outages on Starlink are rare, but a recent two-and-a-half-hour outage was due to software issues in the Starlink network, according to a SpaceX manager. The Ukrainian army also relies on Starlink for communication due to the destruction of traditional infrastructure in the Russian invasion [5].
Kuiper’s use of high-speed optical inter-satellite links and low Earth orbit positioning suggests a potential for low-latency, high-reliability broadband service akin to Starlink. Both systems are poised to significantly impact sectors such as aviation and military communications by enabling global, resilient internet connectivity in remote or underserved areas. Kuiper's integration with AWS could be an advantage in cloud-enabled applications for enterprises and defense, boosting operational capabilities [1][2][3][4].
However, Starlink's longer operational experience currently gives it a reliability edge and proven track record in these demanding markets. The race between Starlink and Project Kuiper promises to shape the future of global satellite internet, with both services set to make a significant impact on industries reliant on high-speed global connectivity.
Science has played a crucial role in the development of Amazon's Project Kuiper, with its advanced Hall-effect thrusters and innovative optical inter-satellite laser links drawing from space-and-astronomy research. The technology behind Kuiper is designed to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband service, making it a major competitor in the satellite internet market, alongside SpaceX's Starlink.
