🛰️ Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches satellite network to compete with Elon Musk's Starlink

• Blue Origin plans to launch 5,408 satellites for a new communications network called TeraWave.
• The network will be able to deliver data speeds of up to 6 terabits per second anywhere on Earth.
• The first satellites are scheduled to be placed in orbit during the fourth quarter of 2027.

Extreme data speeds

TeraWave is designed to deliver data speeds of up to 6 terabits per second anywhere on Earth. The high speed is made possible through optical communication between the satellites.

According to Blue Origin, the network is designed to serve a maximum of approximately 100,000 customers. Unlike Elon Musk's Starlink, which targets individual consumers, TeraWave is built specifically for enterprise customers.

Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp states that what sets TeraWave apart from competitors is that the network is purpose-built for enterprise customers.

Launch planned for 2027

Blue Origin announces that the first satellites will be launched during the last quarter of 2027. The company's reusable New Glenn rocket, which has completed two launches so far, will likely play a central role in deploying the satellites.

TeraWave adds another satellite network linked to Bezos. He is also executive chairman of Amazon, which is building another network called Leo, formerly known as Project Kuiper. That network comprises 3,200 satellites and targets consumers and businesses. So far, Amazon has placed 180 satellites in orbit.

Increased demand for data capacity in space

The launch of TeraWave coincides with increased activity in the space industry to build data centers in space. Demand for large-scale AI data processing is growing, and such processing on Earth requires enormous amounts of energy and resources.

Bezos has predicted that space-based data centers will be commonplace in orbit within the next 10 to 20 years. Musk has also said he plans to build data centers in space to complement the Starlink network.

Starlink currently has approximately 10,000 satellites in orbit and has reported more than six million customers in at least 140 countries. The network serves individual consumers, businesses, governments and, through the Starshield variant, U.S. national security agencies.

Terminals can integrate with existing infrastructure

According to Blue Origin, TeraWave terminals can be rapidly deployed worldwide and connected to existing high-capacity infrastructure. This is intended to provide additional route diversity and strengthen the network's overall resilience.

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