Jeff Bezos is preparing to launch Amazon’s satellite broadband service in Britain, posing a major challenge to fellow billionaire Elon Musk.
Regulatory filings show that Amazon’s Project Kuiper plans to broadcast Internet connectivity from space to U.K. customers — including businesses and government users — as early as this year, signaling intensifying competition in the nascent but increasingly crowded satellite internet market.
The company told Ofcom that Project Kuiper’s “uniquely suited” network could bridge the digital divide in hard-to-reach areas across the country. Under Amazon’s plan, Internet traffic will move from satellites to terrestrial dishes outside homes. To support such operations, the tech giant is exploring building “gateways” that connect Kuiper satellites to the broader Internet.
Beyond consumer and commercial offerings, Amazon is also eyeing British defense contracts. The Transparency Files reveal that the executives met with Air Chief Marshal Paul Godfrey — who was then leading the UK Space Command — to discuss studying Amazon’s military network. Separate meetings with Blue Origin, Bezos’ rocket company, underscore a parallel push to compete with Musk’s SpaceX, the currently dominant private player in orbital launches.
Blue Origin’s new 320-foot New Glenn rocket, which lined up for its inaugural flight early Monday morning, is designed to be reusable and is scheduled to carry dozens of Amazon satellites. Facing delays, Project Kuiper aims for its first full-scale launch in early 2025, with wider commercial service by the end of that year. Analysts warn that it could be 2026 or later before widespread services become available.
The entry of Project Kuiper pits two of the world’s richest individuals against each other, with Musk’s Starlink network already serving 87,000 customers in the UK and said to be four million globally. As Amazon seeks to gain a foothold in both commercial and government markets, it still must address regulatory hurdles and prove its ability to meet demand in an increasingly competitive field. The UK government, which part-owns another competitor, OneWeb, is watching developments closely, especially as defense and commercial interest grows in satellite services.