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ORAC
14th Jun 2021, 14:24
https://techwireasia.com/2021/06/after-elon-musk-amazon-eyes-satellite-broadband-space-in-india/

After Elon Musk, Amazon eyes satellite broadband space in India

Jeff Bezos’ Amazon is apparently initiating an effort to bring high-speed satellite internet services to India, a move that is sure to spark off the competition with arch-rivals Bharti-backed OneWeb (https://techwireasia.com/2016/12/softbank-funnel-investment-satellite-startup-oneweb/)and SpaceX owned by Elon Musk (https://techwireasia.com/2021/02/elon-musk-to-disrupt-telecommunications-next-with-starlink-internet-satellites/). If anything, it will at least lead to fair and lower satellite broadband rates around the world’s largest democracy.

According to The Economic Times, Amazon will soon approach the government to discuss the modalities, authorizations, permits, landing rights, and satellite bandwidth leasing costs.

“Talks with the Department of Space (DoS) and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will happen on the necessary regulatory approvals to bring Amazon’s high-speed broadband services to India via its Project Kuiper satellite constellation as part of the global launch,” mentioned the report quoting a source.

DoS gives landing rights for downlinking signals of foreign satellites into the country. Amazon is already investing in excess of US$10 billion to build a constellation of 3,236 low-Earth orbit satellites as part of its global space internet initiative, Project Kuiper (https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-receives-fcc-approval-for-project-kuiper-satellite-constellation).

One person that will be keeping a close eye on the progress of Kuiper will be Elon Musk, given his own satellite venture (https://techhq.com/2021/02/is-telecommunications-the-next-big-disruption-for-elon-musk-and-starlink/).…. in March, Starlink began allowing Indian users to pre-order its services across several locations around the country for a refundable payment of US$99 (roughly Rs 7,200). Orders, according to the Starlink website, will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-serve basis…..

The report further quoted industry executives as saying that India is a critical emerging satellite internet market that Amazon cannot ignore. It goes on to point out that nearly three-quarters of India’s rural population still does not have access to broadband, since many areas are without cellular or fiber connectivity.

ORAC
6th Nov 2021, 09:25
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-05/amazon-seeks-to-add-4-538-satellites-to-challenge-musk-s-spacex

Amazon Seeks Another 4,538 Satellites to Challenge Musk’s SpaceX

Amazon.com Inc. (https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/AMZN:US)’s Kuiper Systems LLC asked U.S. regulators for permission to launch another 4,538 satellites that would bolster its constellation as it competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX for broadband-from-space customers. The additions would bring Kuiper’s constellation to 7,774 satellites, the company said in a filing (https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/ib/forms/attachment_menu.hts?id_app_num=140278&acct=322741&id_form_num=12&filing_key=-473982) Thursday with the Federal Communications Commission….

Kuiper’s request was among nine applications, submitted under an FCC deadline, that requested authorization for a total of more than 35,000 spacecraft. That’s more than seven times the number (https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/satellite-database) aloft today.

Those figures don’t include nearly 30,000 additional satellites proposed by segment leader SpaceX, which already has launched more than 1,700 of its Starlink spacecraft.….

Companies filing for FCC approval Thursday included Boeing Co. (https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/BA:US), which proposed another 5,789 communications satellites after winning permission (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/R20JAZDWLU7C) on Nov. 3 for 147 satellites……

Astra Space Inc. (https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/1833184D:US) asked permission for 13,620 satellites for what it described as “communications services, environmental and natural resource applications, and national security missions.”……

ORAC
5th Apr 2022, 15:24
https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/04/amazon-signs-blockbuster-launch-deal-for-its-satellite-megaconstellation/

Jeff Bezos and Amazon just hired everybody but SpaceX for Project Kuiper

Amazon on Tuesday announced the largest commercial launch deal ever. The company said it has finalized agreements with three different rocket companies for a total of 83 launches. The rockets will deploy a majority of Amazon's low-Earth-orbit constellation of broadband satellites.

With this deal, Amazon has acquired an extraordinary amount of medium- and heavy-lift launch capacity over the next five years, procuring launches from every major Western provider except for its direct satellite competitor, SpaceX. Aside from SpaceX, this purchase represents the vast majority of any "spare" launch capacity for larger rockets in the United States or Europe over the next half-decade.

Amazon announced launch agreements with the following companies as it seeks to build out its constellation of 3,236 satellites:

Arianespace: 18 launches of Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket
Blue Origin: 12 launches of the company's New Glenn rocket, with options for 15 additional launches
United Launch Alliance: 38 launches of the company's Vulcan rocket

Additionally, Amazon previously announced that it has purchased the final nine Atlas V rocket launches from United Launch Alliance before that vehicle, which is powered by Russian engines, is retired.….

hobbit1983
6th Apr 2022, 08:24
Crikey...what with OneWeb and SpaceX, that's a lot of broadband satellites! (assuming all three launch systems get to operational status)

ORAC
1st Sep 2023, 07:29
https://x.com/jeff_foust/status/1697372418447200284?s=61&t=rmEeUn68HhlFHGKbTPQr_A



A pension fund that is an Amazon shareholder has filed suit against its board of directors, claiming they acted in bad faith in approving Kuiper launch contracts that went to Blue Origin—owned by Amazon's Jeff Bezos—and others, while excluding SpaceX.

The public version of the suit redacts contract values, but notes the three contracts combined are Amazon's second largest capital expense after the purchase of Whole Foods. Amazon has spent $1.7B to date on the contracts; zero satellites have launched so far.

A copy of the suit is included in the article (so you don't have to pay expensive fees to access it like me), which includes a whole section outlining the feud between Bezos and Musk. Come for the redactions, stay for the memes.​​​​​​​

https://spacenews.com/lawsuit-claims-amazons-board-erred-in-awarding-kuiper-launch-contracts-to-blue-origin-and-others/

Lawsuit claims Amazon’s board erred in awarding Kuiper launch contracts to Blue Origin and others