Broadband from space: What is Amazon's Project Kuiper plan?

The internet is spreading across the world rapidly and Amazon apparently aims to become the numero uno internet provider. In order to provide Internet to the 'unserved and underserved categories around the globe', Amazon is working on a plan to launch 3,236 satellites into low-Earth orbit. The project named 'Kuiper' will consist of 784 satellites at an altitude of 367 miles from the earth. About 1,296 satellites will be at 379 miles and 1,156 satellites at 391 miles, providing internet availability to over 95 per cent of the world's total population.

Project 'Kuiper' is expected to provide low-latency, high-speed broadband facility to unserved and underserved communities globally. This is a huge, long-term project that aims to provide tens of millions of people around the world, who do not possess basic Broadband Internet access, an Amazon spokesperson was quoted as saying by Verge. 

Amazon has already filed the project with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an international organisation in charge of coordinating satellite orbits. Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos has his own spaceflight company called 'Blue Origin', and the company is considering all other options for the project too.

However, it is not clear as of now whether the company is aiming to build its own satellites or buy them from a third party.

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There's no time-frame when Amazon's satellites might be launched into orbit, but the project will require the approval of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC).

Other than Amazon, some major tech giants have also been working to launch their satellite-based broadband service. Social networking giant Facebook is also reportedly working on a plan to develop its own Internet satellite.