Simultaneously, during a considerable outage of Starlink satellite internet this week, Amazon’s rival network appears to be nearing its launch.

In a blog post from the company, Amazon detailed recent progress in Project Kuiper, its forthcoming satellite internet network. The key announcement involves the inauguration of a state-of-the-art $140 million facility at the Kennedy Space Center dedicated to payload processing for its satellite launches. By managing processing in-house, Amazon intends to enhance the efficiency of deploying these satellites into low Earth orbit.

Amazon successfully launched its initial batch of 27 satellites in April and has plans for more than 80 further launches to establish the initial network. The corporation will partner with aerospace companies such as Arianespace, Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance (ULA), and SpaceX, which is the owner of Starlink.

The majority of launches will take place in Cape Canaveral, Florida, close to the Kennedy Space Center. Satellites are manufactured and tested in Washington state prior to their processing at the Kennedy Space Center.

Project Kuiper aims to deliver cost-effective satellite internet to underserved regions, including rural and remote communities. As per a company FAQ, the service is expected to commence in “late 2025,” featuring download speeds ranging from 100Mbps to 1Gbps, based on the service tier selected.

Although Amazon has thrived in e-commerce, its satellite internet service still has significant ground to cover to compete with Starlink, which operates the largest satellite constellation globally, comprising over 6,700 satellites.