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Amazon Unveils Unprecedented Advance in Project Kuiper Testing, Achieving Over 1 Gbps Speed in Satellite Connection and Opening a New Front in the Battle with Starlink for High-Performance Internet Leadership.
Amazon revealed an internal test of the Project Kuiper that recorded 1,289 Mbps of download using a business terminal, a result that places the company at the center of the satellite broadband race and puts pressure on the industry leader, Starlink.
The measurement was shared by company executives and was conducted with satellites at 630 kilometers altitude, in low Earth orbit.
Although it does not represent performance under commercial conditions, the number signals technical capability for gigabit connections from space.
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How the Test Was Conducted and What It Indicates About the Network
According to Amazon itself, the experiment used a high-performance business terminal to connect to Kuiper satellites in LEO.
The project’s vice president of technology, Rajeev Badyal, stated in a post that, “as far as we know, this is the first commercially phased array antenna to deliver 1+ Gbps from low Earth orbit,” reinforcing the unprecedented nature of this milestone on the user equipment side.
The communication occurred with the satellites already stabilized at an altitude of 630 km, the same indicated for the first generation of the constellation.
While the data is noteworthy, it is important to provide context: since it is a test in a controlled environment, with a terminal more robust than the domestic one, the rate should not be taken as a direct reference for the everyday subscriber.
Congestion, beam capacity management, and line-of-sight conditions may reduce the perceived speed in massive usage.
Amazon itself acknowledges that the results are an indication of the technology’s potential, not a guarantee of final performance.
Kuiper Constellation and Next Steps
The Kuiper currently includes 102 satellites in orbit and has an additional 27 ready for launch, which will expand the coverage mesh and network resilience.
The plan continues to target half of the constellation of 3,232 satellites to be deployed within 12 months, in compliance with regulatory milestones agreed upon with the FCC for the first generation of the system.
Amazon projects to begin customer service by the end of 2025, initially with limited availability and gradual expansion as launches progress.
The license granted in the United States authorizes the operation of the constellation in Ka bands and imposes deadlines: half of the satellites by mid-2026 and the total by 2029, goals that guide the planned launch pace with multiple providers.
This timeline explains the cadence of missions planned for the coming months.
Where Starlink Stands Today
As Amazon accelerates, Starlink maintains the largest operational satellite network.
Independent estimates and launch records indicate that there are over 8,000 Starlink satellites in orbit at this time, following a record series of missions in 2025.
In retail, the base has also grown: the company reported that it surpassed 7 million global customers by the end of August, up from the 6 million reported in June.
In terms of speed, Starlink currently delivers rates ranging from tens to hundreds of megabits per second in most of the serviced areas, depending on congestion and plan category.
For business profiles, the company promises “gigabit” in selected areas starting in 2026, via plan upgrades on higher capacity equipment.
This suggests that the race for connections above 1 Gbps is also on the competitor’s radar.
The Impact of Peaks Above 1 Gbps
In practice, the 1+ Gbps benchmark from Kuiper shows that the satellite-user link has already reached levels previously restricted to fixed fiber or cable networks.
This paves the way for high-demand applications — 4K video telemedicine, large cloud backups, business connectivity, and embedded Wi-Fi — in areas without terrestrial infrastructure.
On the other hand, sustained performance will depend on factors such as satellite density, beam management, spectrum allocation, and, above all, the residential terminal that Amazon will bring to market.
The company has yet to disclose pricing or the list of debut countries.
In official communications, the projection remains the same: service start by the end of 2025, with gradual expansion.
Until then, the company needs to prove industrial scale of satellites and terminals, finalize landing agreements and local authorizations, in addition to detailing commercial offers for residences, businesses, and government.
Difference Between Business and Residential Terminals
There is a central point for the consumer: the presented test uses a business terminal, which is more capable than domestic equipment.
This tends to raise the speed ceiling in the lab, but does not guarantee equivalent numbers in a scenario with thousands of users competing for capacity.
Amazon itself advises caution in positioning the result as a sample of technological potential, rather than a promise of performance in all situations.
In mature markets, recent experiences with satellite networks show that congestion and traffic management can reduce speeds and increase latencies during peak hours, especially when the number of subscribers grows faster than the satellite density per cell.
This will be a challenge for any constellation aiming to operate on a large scale.
The Battle Between Amazon and SpaceX Until 2025
If the schedule is maintained, Kuiper is expected to commercially debut in the fourth quarter of 2025, still with partial coverage and focusing on pilot customers, while continuing to expand the constellation in 2026.
Starlink, for its part, enters this period with global reach, a base of millions of users, and a much denser orbital mesh.
The competition is therefore likely to be less about isolated speed peaks and more about effective coverage, final pricing, stability, and service quality across different plan profiles.
Additionally, the definition of plans and prices for Kuiper will be crucial for cost-sensitive markets.
So far, Amazon has not detailed packages or monthly fees, and market analyses only project possible scenarios.
Without this information, cost-benefit comparisons with Starlink remain necessarily preliminary.
Finally, the realization of sector partnerships — for example, aviation, agribusiness, or local providers — should influence the speed of adoption.
The performance demonstrated above 1 Gbps suggests technical competitiveness for critical corporate uses, but the decisive proof will come from daily operation with residential terminals and congested networks.
Until then, the question remains simple: when price, availability, and stability are known, what will weigh more in your choice — peak speed, actual coverage, or total cost?
Duvido…kkkk