Introduction

Initially 2G internet service was considered a big deal. But now it has evolved into 3G, 4G and 5G. But now space broadband services are gaining in popularity to beat 5G as well. These space broadband services will provide internet service many times faster than 5G. Many companies are trying to provide these services to their users.

Space broadband from Amazon.

Amazon is set to launch ‘broadband from space’ service in India after receiving approval from the National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), according to a report by ET Telecom.

Other competitors for satellite broadband

While companies such as Elon Musk’s Star Link and India’s Reliance Jio are already involved in this effort, Jeff Bezos, the head of Amazon, is also making efforts to join the race. Amazon is set to launch ‘broadband from space’ service in India after receiving approval from the National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), according to a report by ET Telecom.

By doing so, Amazon is poised to join Elon Musk’s Star link, One Web, and Jio Satellite in the fast-growing satellite communications competition, the report said. Additionally, Amazon is expected to apply for a satellite license for global mobile personal communications from the Department of Telecommunications soon. Apart from that, Jio Satellite and One Web have already secured GMPCS licenses, the report said, adding that Elon Musk’s application for Star link will be analyzed soon.

One gigabit per second

After all these processes are completed, the Seattle-headquartered Amazon company is expected to offer a variety of services to users in India through a project called ‘broadband from space’. These services include broadband plans ranging from one megabit per second to one gigabit per second.

This has been made possible by the Government of India’s decision to allow private companies to provide broadband services to users through space projects, as per India’s Space Policy 2023.

Amazon satellites

Two prototype satellites were launched as part of Amazon’s Kuiper project, and Amazon plans to launch 3,236 low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. It is also mentioned in the report that the work for this is expected to start in 2024.