Amazon plans to offer space-based internet by 2022

Amazon will become a space-based internet service provider by the end of 2022 and provide affordable broadband to "unserved and underserved communities around the world''.

The long-term initiative, dubbed Project Kuiper, will use a startup company called ABL Space Systems to deliver two prototype satellites.

The satellites will build a low-Earth orbit, or LEO, satellite constellation that can transmit internet connectivity back to Earth.

Amazon will use ABL's new RS1 rocket to test the launches at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Rajeev Badyal, vice-president of technology for Project Kuiper said in a statement: "We've invented lots of new technology to meet our cost and performance targets for Project Kuiper. All of the systems are testing well in simulated and lab settings, and we'll soon be ready to see how they perform in space.

"There is no substitute for on-orbit testing, and we expect to learn a lot given the complexity and risk of operating in such a challenging environment. We can't wait to get started," Badyal said.

Amazon said that it will deploy 3,236 satellites to provide broadband.

It has a team of more than 750 people working on the project and plans to add hundreds more in the coming year.

It already operates a cloud-based computing business.

In tests, Project Kuiper said its prototype got speeds of up to 400Mbps — faster than a lot of broadband in the US.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Amazon said that the satellites will work with Verizon to deliver LTE and 5G service.

In November, Amazon said it had filed an experimental license application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch, deploy and operate two prototype satellites for Project Kuiper.

The company described the satellites — KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 — as "an important step in the development process''.

"Amazon is committed to being a responsible steward of Earth and space, and we've architected our system and operational procedures to help protect others operating in and around low Earth orbit," Amazon said in a statement.

It added: "KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 are designed for atmospheric demise and will be actively deorbited after the mission, and our application outlines additional measures we're taking to avoid and mitigate the risk of orbital debris."

It said they allow it to test the communications and networking technology that will be used in the final satellite design.

It also helped Amazon validate launch operations and mission management procedures that will be used when deploying the full constellation.

Low-Earth orbit, or LEO, satellite constellation works by using a ground station with a fiber connection to transmit data up to the satellite constellation.

The satellites that are orbiting the Earth then beam data back to customers on Earth.

The connectivity comes from the sky, so it can provide internet to anywhere in the world.

Additionally, it may be beneficial for remote areas, because it doesn't need wires.

At present, cables are laid for the internet under the sea or in other places.

Harry O' Hanley, CEO of ABL, said in a statement: "Kuiper's mission to bring high-speed, low-latency broadband service to underserved communities is highly motivating for our team here at ABL. Amazon will play a central role in the next generation of space infrastructure, and we're proud to have been selected as their launch partner for these critical early flights."

In the United States, at least 21 million Americans don't have access to broadband, according to the FCC.

Worldwide, at least 40 percent of the global population doesn't have access to the internet.

Amazon's founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos recently used his space company Blue Origin to blast off into the edge of space in July.

In this project, Amazon said it planned to work with astronomers and others in the industry to reduce the visibility of Kuiper System satellites.

But it is not the only company racing to space to provide broadband using satellite constellations.

Billionaire Elon Musk's company SpaceX has established a project called Starlink, which has 1,700 satellites in low-Earth orbit.

The project is undergoing tests with 90,000 people who pay $99 a month.

Musk said of the project in 2019 that it is "a key stepping stone towards establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars and a base on the moon".

He wants the revenue from Starlink to pay for his Starship project — a mission to travel to other planets.

Another company embarking on satellite constellations is OneWeb, a British company that has 350 satellites, Vox reported.