Amazon is finally ready to take on Starlink with its own satellite internet service

Amazon has crossed a key threshold in its effort to build a global satellite internet network, announcing that it now has enough spacecraft in low-Earth orbit to support the first phase of its broadband service under Project Kuiper.

The milestone follows the company's latest launch, bringing the total number of operational Kuiper satellites to 396. According to Chris Weber, Amazon's Vice President for Product and Business at Project Kuiper, the constellation is now "enough to support continuous service across initial latitudes", paving the way for the company to begin rolling out connectivity ahead of its planned commercial launch in mid-2026.

While the achievement marks important progress, Amazon's satellite network remains in its early stages. Initial customers are likely to experience a service that evolves over time as more satellites are added, increasing network capacity, improving speeds and extending geographical coverage.

The gradual rollout mirrors the early years of SpaceX's Starlink service, which entered public beta in 2020 with fewer than 900 satellites in orbit. At the time, Starlink served users across limited areas in the northern United States and Canada. Customers frequently reported service interruptions, particularly where buildings or trees obstructed the antenna's view of the sky.

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Early Starlink users generally received download speeds ranging from 50Mbps to 150Mbps, upload performance suitable for basic internet use, and latency between 20 and 40 milliseconds. As thousands of additional satellites were launched over the following years, the network became significantly more reliable while expanding into new markets.

Today, Starlink operates more than 10,000 satellites, making it the world's largest low-Earth orbit broadband constellation. The service is available in more than 160 countries and supports internet connectivity for homes, businesses, aircraft, ships and remote locations. Actual performance varies depending on the user's equipment, subscription plan, location and network demand, but median download speeds now reach around 200Mbps, with upload speeds typically ranging between 10Mbps and 40Mbps. Latency generally remains close to 25 milliseconds.

Amazon is aiming to build a constellation of 3,232 satellites, a figure that remains well below Starlink's current fleet but large enough to establish a global broadband network capable of competing in the rapidly expanding satellite internet market.

Although Project Kuiper has now reached the minimum constellation required to begin serving customers in selected regions, building a network capable of rivaling Starlink's coverage and performance will require years of additional launches. For now, Amazon's latest deployment represents the beginning of that journey rather than its final destination.