Amazon is still preparing to send its first satellite into space, but it has started laying the groundwork for bringing its internet service to Canada.
What happened: Amazon’s job site currently has a posting for a country manager to run Project Kuiper, the company’s satellite broadband internet service, in Canada.
- The role has full responsibility for the unit, including developing a go-to-market strategy, business model, distribution plan and pricing strategy.
Catch-up: With Project Kuiper, Amazon wants to provide broadband internet to underserviced parts of the world using a network of over 3,200 low-orbit satellites.
- In November, the company said a test of two prototype satellites was successful. Last week, it enlisted Elon Musk’s SpaceX to be among those providing rockets for future launches.
- The CRTC approved Amazon’s application to run a telecommunications service in Canada in July 2022, with a term lasting until 2032.
Why it matters: While some people are wary of Amazon, Canada has some unique needs that might make its service a good fit: finally getting high-speed connections to rural and Indigenous communities spread out across its vast geography, and bringing some much-needed competition to the telecommunications market.
What’s next: Amazon told Peak Tech it plans to begin testing with its first enterprise customers at the end of 2024; in addition to getting satellites in the air, it is currently building ground stations around the world. It has not established pricing for the service, but says “affordability is a key principle for our team.”