Jeff Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin, has launched a new satellite network called “TeraWave” to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. While SpaceX’s Starlink is popular among consumers, TeraWave aims to support the main structure of the global internet.
TeraWave, announced on January 21, 2026, is not for home use; you won’t install a TeraWave dish to watch Netflix. Instead, Blue Origin, Bezos’s company, is focusing on big users of the internet, such as:
- Data centers: Connecting server farms across continents.
- Governments: Providing secure, fast military communications.
- Enterprises: Helping multinational companies move large amounts of data quickly.
Here are some of TeraWave’s key features:
- Speed: It can reach up to 6 Terabits per second (Tbps). For comparison, Starlink offers around 200-500 Megabits per second (Mbps), so TeraWave is much faster.
- Satellite Network: It will consist of 5,408 satellites, including 5,280 in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for quick internet access and 128 in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) for high-speed laser connections.
- Launch Date: The first satellites will launch in the fourth quarter of 2027.
TeraWave has a unique advantage: it offers symmetrical speeds. Current satellite services like Starlink offer faster download speeds than upload speeds, which is good for consumers but not suitable for data centers. TeraWave allows users to upload data as quickly as they download it.
This means companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft Azure could move large amounts of data between cities such as London and Tokyo using space-based connections rather than underwater cables.
Bezos is working on two satellite projects:
- Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper), targeting everyday users, competes with Starlink.
- Blue Origin’s TeraWave, focused on infrastructure for governments and businesses, is competing with SpaceX’s Starshield.
Bezos aims to cover both consumer and enterprise markets. Although TeraWave will launch later than Starlink, Blue Origin plans to leverage what it has learned by waiting. They will use advanced laser technology, enabling quicker, more efficient data transfer.
In the past, people saw Blue Origin as just a space tourism company. With TeraWave, Blue Origin shifts its focus to building critical global infrastructure. Bezos believes that while Musk has connected many people, the real opportunity lies in connecting the world’s essential systems.
