Jeff Bezos is doubling down on space with thousands of internet satellites. Blue Origin on Wednesday unveiled TeraWave, a planned communications network built on 5,408 satellites that will target businesses, data centers, and government agencies. The system will use spacecraft in both low and medium Earth orbits and is being pitched as capable of delivering data speeds of up to 6 terabits per second, which Reuters notes is "extreme by consumer standards."
In a news release, Blue Origin said the network will "service tens of thousands of enterprise, data center, and government users who require reliable connectivity for critical operations." The company described the network as "purpose-built for enterprise users" and said it was meant to serve a maximum of around 100,000 customers, reports Reuters. The move drops Bezos' rocket company into a high-stakes satellite race currently led by Elon Musk's SpaceX, CNBC reports. Its Starlink service has more than 9,000 satellites in orbit and roughly 9 million customers, largely serving consumers.
Amazon, founded by Bezos but now a separate operator in this arena, has its own constellation in the works, recently rebranded from Project Kuiper to Leo. It has launched about 180 satellites since April using rockets from partners including United Launch Alliance and, notably, SpaceX; future launches are expected to fly on Blue Origin rockets. Bezos stepped aside as Amazon's CEO in 2021 but remains the company's executive chairman. Amazon is planning a 3,236-satellite Low Earth Orbit network aimed at businesses, governments, and consumers, with an "enterprise preview" already underway.
Other companies with Leo constellations include Eutelsat, OneWeb, Telesat, and multiple Chinese companies, per IoT Insider. Blue Origin, meanwhile, is still best known as a launch provider. It hit a milestone with the first flight of its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket in January and successfully recovered a New Glenn booster for the first time in November after a NASA mission. Bezos, who founded Blue Origin in 2000 and brought in former Amazon devices chief Dave Limp as CEO, has said he believes it will eventually surpass Amazon itself.
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