Amazon’s satellite network, Kuiper, a rival to Starlink, is finally launching. Having launched more than 100 satellites this year, Amazon has signed its first agreement with the American airline JetBlue for satellite internet. The internet provided by the Kuiper satellites will be used on JetBlue’s aircraft starting in 2027.

Amazon is nearing completion of the Kuiper project

This will provide passengers with secure and uninterrupted Wi-Fi. SpaceX previously signed similar agreements with airlines such as United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Air France after launching its Starlink network.

Project Kuiper, which has been in development since 2019, has fallen behind Starlink due to setbacks. Amazon launched its first Kuiper satellites into orbit in April of this year. The project was virtually halted until the beginning of this year.

Today, the Kuiper network has over 100 satellites. Of course, this number lags far behind Starlink, which has over 8,000 satellites, but Amazon is making progress. This isn’t the first major deal this year. In April, Amazon signed an agreement with Airbus to integrate the Kuiper system into its aircraft.

The Starlink network, one of the initiatives spearheaded by Elon Musk, has taken significant steps to make satellite internet much more widespread. Their pioneering work in this area has put them in a significantly advantageous position. However, Starlink isn’t the only rapidly growing satellite network. In parallel with Starlink, Amazon is also building its own satellite network in orbit. With these successive agreements, Amazon is beginning to catch up.

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