Australia skips Starlink for Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite internet

🔹 News Summary

• The Australian government-owned NBN Co has chosen Amazon’s Project Kuiper to provide satellite internet services to ~300,000 remote users.
• This marks a shift away from Starlink, a satellite internet service by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which already has 250,000+ users in Australia.
• The decision was made even though Kuiper is untested in the Australian market, and has only 78 satellites launched (as of April 2025), compared to Starlink's 8,000 satellites since 2019.
• Project Kuiper is expected to replace 2 ageing NBN satellites by 2032.

🛰️ What is Satellite Internet?

• Satellite internet is a form of broadband internet service provided via communication satellites, especially useful in remote or rural areas.
• Two major technologies:
  • GEO (Geostationary Earth Orbit) – higher latency, older tech.
  • LEO (Low Earth Orbit) – faster, lower latency (e.g., Starlink, Kuiper).

🛰️ About Project Kuiper

• Amazon's initiative to launch 3,200+ LEO satellites.
• Aims to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband globally.
• Investment: $15 billion+
• First launch: April 2025 (via Atlas V rocket, U.S.)

🛰️ About Starlink (SpaceX)

• World’s leading LEO satellite internet service.
• Over 8,000 satellites in orbit.
• Operational since 2019.
• Already functional in Australia and many other countries.
• Known for high-speed internet in hard-to-reach areas.
  
  Updated: August 5, 2025, 12:21 PM IST
   Source: The Hindu