TeraWave: Bezos’ Company Blue Origin Plans Starlink Competitor

Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin has unveiled TeraWave, a high-speed satellite network with symmetrical data rates of up to 6 terabits per second – positioning itself as a direct alternative to Elon Musk’s Starlink. The planned constellation is to consist of 5,408 satellites in low Earth and medium Earth orbits and is scheduled to go into operation by the end of 2027. The system is specifically targeted at enterprise customers, data centers, and government agencies.

The TeraWave architecture calls for a combination of 5,280 LEO satellites (Low Earth Orbit) and 128 MEO satellites (medium Earth orbit) that are optically networked together. The low Earth orbit LEO satellites are intended to achieve speeds of up to 144 gigabits per second via radio, while the MEO satellites are to deliver throughput rates of 6 Tbps – a direct challenge to Starlink.

Enterprise Instead of End Users: TeraWave Targets B2B Segment

Unlike Starlink, which also serves private customers with internet and telephone services, TeraWave focuses exclusively on business customers. The network addresses companies that require higher throughput, symmetrical upload and download speeds, greater redundancy, and rapid scalability.

Bezos’ space company’s plans are ambitious, as Starlink currently dominates the satellite internet market. While Starlink already operates thousands of satellites in orbit and continues to expand, TeraWave is not launching until the end of 2027. The strategic differentiation lies in technical performance and a focus on well-funded B2B customers rather than the mass market.

Amazon Leo Running in Parallel

In parallel, Amazon – from which Bezos stepped down as CEO in 2021 – is developing its own satellite project called Amazon Leo with over 3,200 satellites. This system – unlike TeraWave – targets private households and is intended to deliver download speeds in the range of fast broadband connections. With TeraWave, Blue Origin is raising the bar significantly and aiming for speeds that put conventional connections in the shade.

Bezos and Musk have been competitors in space for years and are engaged in a race with their space projects. SpaceX is considered the pioneer in providing fast internet from space with Starlink, while Amazon and Blue Origin are now looking to catch up. One controversial aspect of Starlink remains its military use. Whether TeraWave can bring a convincing alternative to market will become clear from 2027 onwards.