Tech giant Amazon is seeking permission from US communications regulators to deploy more than 4,500 additional satellites as part of the company’s efforts to bring broadband internet to areas around the world without access to high-speed internet.
Amazon previously announced plans to spend at least $ 10 billion on 3,236 satellites as part of its Project Kuiper program.
Late Thursday, she asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to use a total of 7,774 satellites for the project.
On Monday, Amazon asked the FCC for approval to launch and operate two prototype satellites by the end of 2022.
Amazon said in its filing that the satellites “will serve households, hospitals, businesses, government agencies and other organizations around the world, including geographic areas that still lack reliable broadband.”
“Although connectivity has improved worldwide, only 51% of the world’s population and 44% of the population of developing countries are online,” the company filing said.
The Kuiper project’s plan was approved by the FCC for the constellation of low-earth orbit satellites to compete with the Starlink network being built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Amazon has grappled with Musk, recently accusing the billionaire of ignoring a variety of government-imposed rules.
Amazon founders Jeff Bezos and Musk are rivals in the private space launch business. Bezos’ Blue Origin had challenged the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s decision to award SpaceX a $ 2.9 billion lunar module contract, but a judge turned down the challenge on Thursday.
(With contributions from agencies)
