Watch: Amazon launches first internet satellites aiming to rival Starlink
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Louise Thomas
Editor
Watch as Amazon launches its first satellites into space on Friday, 6 October.
The event, which is part of the Project Kuiper mission to bring fast and affordable internet connection to all corners of the world, saw two test satellites launch from a space station in Florida.
Jeff Bezos’s company said it wants the project to help “bridge the digital divide."
The project is seen as a rival to Elon Musk's 5,000 Starlink satellites which send broadband signals to Earth.
Starlink is used in a UK Government trial to give isolated areas a better internet connection.
Amazon says it has plans to make and deploy more than 3,200 satellites over the next six years.
Rajeev Badyal, Project Kuiper’s vice president of technology, said Amazon has done "extensive testing" and the company has a "high degree of confidence" in their designs.
“This is Amazon’s first time putting satellites into space, and we’re going to learn an incredible amount regardless of how the mission unfolds," he added.
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