The billionaires’ constellation-measuring contest in the satcom sector is showing no signs of letting up, with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company having announced plans for a new satellite communications network called TeraWave, designed to deliver data speeds of up to 6 terabits per second (Tbps).
The move comes as Bezos-founded Amazon continues with the roll-out of its own LEO satellite network, with approximately 180 satellites now in orbit out of a planned constellation of more than 3,000.
Both new networks will hope to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink offering, which has captured significant maritime market share since gaining approval for use at sea in 2022, and currently has more than 9,000 operational satellites providing its services.
Blue Origin’s TeraWave architecture is designed to consist of 5,408 optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO). This multi-orbit design is intended to enable high-throughput links between global hubs and distributed user connections in remote areas.
The constellation includes 5,280 LEO satellites using Q/V-band links to provide access speeds of up to 144 gigabits per second (Gbps). Additionally, 128 MEO satellites will provide up to 6 Tbps via optical links.
The system is designed to provide both point-to-point connectivity and enterprise-grade internet access, allowing customers to scale throughput based on their requirements.
Deployment of the TeraWave constellation is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027.
