Amazon is gearing up to launch its highly anticipated satellite internet service, Project Kuiper, with coverage set to include the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, and the U.K. by the end of the first quarter of 2026, as revealed by Ricky Freeman, Amazon’s President of Government Solutions for Project Kuiper, at the World Space Business Week event in Paris.
The company plans to have over 200 satellites in low-Earth orbit by the end of the year to support the commercial rollout of Project Kuiper. While Amazon had initially aimed for a late 2025 launch, specific markets and an exact launch date are yet to be confirmed.
This announcement follows Amazon’s successful launch of its first batch of Project Kuiper satellites in April, with a recent demonstration showcasing download speeds of 1,289 Mbps. Amazon’s ambitious plans to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink face a tight timeline set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, which requires the deployment of approximately 1,600 satellites by the end of July 2026.
Looking ahead, Amazon is focused on expanding Kuiper’s reach rapidly, aiming to cover up to 26 countries by the end of 2026, reach the equator in 2027, and achieve global coverage by 2028. In comparison, Starlink has already surpassed 7 million users across 150 countries and territories.
Despite being months away from its commercial launch, Project Kuiper has secured over $100 million from the U.S. government’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program to provide internet access to underserved areas. Additionally, a partnership with JetBlue will see Kuiper satellites powering in-flight Wi-Fi for the airline starting in 2027.
Amazon’s Kuiper team has faced challenges in satellite production and launch delays but has made progress with four successful launches completed and more deployments on the horizon. With a strong focus on delivering service by early 2026, Amazon is on track to make Project Kuiper a significant player in the satellite internet space.