Imagine if you never had to worry about internet connectivity, if signals were readily available everywhere you went on the planet. That appealing prospect requires a truly, literally universal perspective. Thus, “the internet from space” is more than just a potential title for a science fiction movie; it’s a current initiative, dominated by private companies desperate to gain a first-mover advantage and grab market share. 

In 2019, SpaceX launched Starlink, a subsidiary dedicated to creating a satellite internet system that provided service to remote parts of the world. Its role in granting access to various regions with limited or interrupted service has been deeply influential and widely publicized during the Russo-Ukraine war. Rather than allow Starlink to operate uncontested though, Amazon has joined the internet from space race with its own initiative, Project Kuiper.

Named after the Kuiper Belt, a region of the solar system, Project Kuiper aims to develop its own broadband constellation to provide internet access to underserved areas. Having already assigned more than 2,000 employees to develop the program, Amazon hopes to have a service available for purchase by 2026.

In further support for this goal, Amazon also recently invested to acquire land in Wellington, New Zealand, on which it plans to build the necessary telecommunications infrastructure on the ground, including antennas, fiber, and connection points. Although the specific details of the land deal were not disclosed, the Overseas Investment Office announced that the site will help ensure service to residents of New Zealand.

Amazon also has sent two prototype satellites into low Earth orbit; it plans to launch at least half of its 3,232 satellites by July 2026. Testing will begin in 2025, after terminals that allow customers to access the service are installed. According to its own reports, the primary aim of Amazon’s Project Kuiper is to fill coverage gaps in broadband access worldwide, which promises to give people a means to connect and obtain more efficient communications, education, and health services. Such promises are especially relevant for disadvantaged communities. 

Even as we might appreciate the potential benefits for society though, the development of the market for global internet thus far is being driven completely by profit-oriented companies. That is, Starlink and Amazon might promote the benefits of their systems for people, but they also clearly aim to profit from sales of this service. The economic outcomes likely drive their actions more than the societal ones.

Furthermore, Starlink and its owner Elon Musk already have threatened to limit access to its networks based on political considerations. Beyond his role as the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos has well-publicized political views as well. The potential for nefarious actors, dictators, and national leaders in search of power to exploit these capitalist systems, for their own good and to the detriment of citizens, is substantial. Ignoring such possibilities, in pursuit of constant internet connectivity, is a risk that the universe cannot safely bear.

Discussion Questions 

1. Does expanding into the internet marketplace add long-term value to Amazon? 
2. Does “the internet from space” require regulatory considerations? How might those be crafted and imposed? 

Sources: Anusuya Lahiri, “Amazon Moves Forward with Satellite Internet Ambitions, Secures New Zealand Land for Project Kuiper,” Yahoo Finance, August 29, 2024; Thomas Kohnstamm, “Everything You Need to Know About Project Kuiper, Amazon’s Satellite Broadband Network,” Amazon, October 3, 2024; Tracy Withers, “Amazon Eyes Land in New Zealand for Internet-From-Space Project,” Bloomberg, August 23, 2024