Benchmarking Starlink! Amazon's Project Kuiper is expected to expand to 26 countries by 2026 and achieve global coverage by 2028
Amazon's Kuiper project is expected to provide satellite internet services to the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom by the end of the first quarter of 2026, with plans for global coverage by 2028. The project will deploy over 3,200 satellites, covering approximately 88 to 100 countries, including polar regions. Amazon has launched four batches of satellites and has reached an agreement with JetBlue Airways to provide in-flight internet access services starting in 2027
According to Zhitong Finance APP, Ricky Freeman, an executive at Amazon (AMZN.US) and President of Government Solutions for the Kuiper satellite project, revealed at the World Space Business Week event in Paris that the company's satellite internet project plans to provide services to the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom by the end of the first quarter of 2026. Amazon expects to deploy over 200 satellites in low Earth orbit by the end of 2024, having previously stated that services would launch by the end of 2025, but did not specify the exact markets and timelines at that time.
The core goal of the project is to build a satellite constellation consisting of more than 3,200 satellites to provide internet connectivity for individual users, businesses, and governments. Freeman further explained that the Kuiper project will subsequently deploy satellites covering more southern latitudes, expanding to 26 countries by the end of 2026, and achieving equatorial coverage by 2027.
Amazon also plans to achieve "global coverage" by 2028, covering approximately 88 to 100 countries, including polar regions, for which it will issue additional satellites beyond the original deployment plan. Freeman emphasized that he is "very satisfied with the current progress," but an Amazon spokesperson declined to comment further on his remarks.
As a competing project to Elon Musk's Starlink, the Kuiper project faced difficulties in increasing satellite production earlier this year due to delays from rocket manufacturers. Currently, Amazon has launched four batches of satellites, with the next batch planned to launch later this month.
In terms of commercial cooperation, JetBlue Airways announced on September 4 that it has become the first airline to reach a satellite-supported in-flight Wi-Fi agreement with the Kuiper project, with plans to provide in-flight internet access to passengers via Amazon satellites starting in 2027
