Amazon has received authorization from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to proceed with Project Kuiper, its initiative to launch a fleet of low-orbit satellites that would be used to provide broadband Internet access to underserved communities in the U.S. .
The FCC approved the tech giant’s ambitious project by a 5-0 vote Thursday.
With the commission’s green light, Amazon can now begin rolling out its 3,236 satellites. In total, Amazon is spending $ 10 billion on the project based on a new Amazon development facility in Redmond, Washington.
“We’ve heard so many stories lately about people who can’t do their jobs or complete school work because they don’t have reliable Internet at home,” Dave Limp, Amazon’s senior vice president, said in a statement. “There are still too many places where broadband access is unreliable or where it doesn’t exist at all. Kuiper will change that. ”
Many of the country’s school districts in areas without widespread Internet access have struggled to reach their students during the coronavirus pandemic.
Forced online, many states and cities have created mobile access points where children can drop off and download their homework.
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