The Kuiper satellite system is expected to begin operating in the first part of 2024

There are a few companies that want to lead communications with satellites in low orbit around the Earth. The most advanced is Starlink, which claims to have around 1.5 million customers, and which had a large increase in its business due to the war in Ukraine, since it was able to offer secure communications to its military operations.

And since Amazon does not want to be left behind, it has presented the Kuiper project, which is presented as an ambitious initiative that aims to deploy a constellation of communication satellites in low Earth orbit. With plans to begin operations in early 2024, this system has the potential to revolutionize global communications and provide high-speed Internet access to remote areas.

The system will be made up of a constellation of 3,236 satellites that will orbit at an altitude of about 590 kilometers, and that communicate with each other by means of a laser system at data transfer speeds of 100 Gigabits per second.

Optical signals (laser) are high frequency, and therefore have greater bandwidth than radio waves, and can send a greater amount of information. And the rays are also very narrow and therefore more difficult to interfere with, and also require lower power consumption.

The Kuiper system has a number of potential advantages, including:

• Broadband Internet access for everyone: The system has the potential to provide broadband Internet access to rural and remote areas that currently have no or limited access. This could have a significant impact on the economy and society of these areas, allowing them to access educational, healthcare, entertainment services and other resources that are currently unavailable.
• Greater speed and reliability: This system uses next-generation satellites that can provide data speeds of up to 400 Mbps. This is significantly faster than the data speeds that can be provided through other Internet access technologies, such as broadband terrestrial broadband or 4G. In addition, the system is designed to be more reliable than other technologies, since the satellites are distributed in low orbits, which reduces the risk of them being affected by interference or weather phenomena.
• Lower cost: The system has the potential to be more affordable than other Internet access technologies. This is because the system uses smaller, more efficient satellites that are cheaper to manufacture and launch.

And at the same time, the Kuiper system also has a number of potential drawbacks, including:

• Latency: Latency is the time it takes for a data packet to travel from one device to another. The system latency is about 35 milliseconds, which is slightly higher than the latency of terrestrial networks. However, this latency is still adequate for most applications, such as web browsing, email, and video streaming.
• Interference: The system could be affected by interference from other satellite or radio networks. Amazon has taken steps to mitigate this risk, but some interference may occur in certain areas.
• Environmental impact: The launch of satellites can have an environmental impact, since it produces greenhouse gas emissions. Amazon says it has taken steps to reduce the environmental impact of its system, but some negative effects are possible.

It must be emphasized that although there are a series of regulations for communications between satellites (wavelengths to use, polarizations to use, etc...), satellite companies do not always follow them, and therefore their systems do not connect. to each other. And the same thing happens in the case of Kuiper. I guess they do it to keep their business well “under control” for the future.

In general, satellite systems present a diverse set of advantages and disadvantages. While its ability to provide global Internet access and improve connectivity in remote areas represents a positive development, the challenges related to space debris, environmental impact and regulatory issues highlight the need to carefully address ethical, environmental and technical aspects. of this initiative.

Kuiper's long-term success will depend on the company's ability to manage these challenges effectively and to adapt to a dynamic environment constantly evolving in orbital space and communications technologies.

And we will only know that with the passage of time