Amazon has launched the first test satellites for its planned internet service. United Launch Alliance's Atlas rocket blasted off Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with the two test satellites.

Amazon launched the first test satellites for its planned internet service on Friday as a rival to SpaceX’s broadband network.

United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket blasted off with the pair of test satellites, kicking off a program that aims to improve global internet coverage with an eventual 3,236 satellites around Earth.

Amazon plans to begin offering service by the end of next year.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has a huge head start over Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos, who has his own rocket company, Blue Origin.

    • takeda@lemmy.world
      1·
      1 year ago

      Another question (especially to FCC): why deploying satellites into space to provide internet service is more feasible than providing internet terrestrially?

      All FCC should have to do is to mandate leasing last mile to competitors, and that would enable competition enter in the market (like they did when DSL was the king).

    • Custoslibera@lemmy.world
      32·
      1 year ago

      We won’t even be able to escape the planet because the space near earth will be so clogged with satellites anything that tries to break orbit will get destroyed…

    • gregorum@lemm.eeEnglish
      3·
      1 year ago

      They started by launching giant space dicks. Next step: blow their load. 

      • takeda@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 year ago

        There’s no way that dick wasn’t reference to Dr Evil. I have feeling the Blue Origin engineers, purposefully did that, because Bezos kind of looks like him.

    • gregorum@lemm.eeEnglish
      112·
      1 year ago

      4 years later we’ll learn it’s what killed all the penguins or turns rain into pee or some other terrible environmental disaster.

      We can’t have nice things.