SpaceX and its billionaire CEO Elon Musk may finally have a reason to look over their shoulder in the satellite internet race. On Thursday, Amazon revealed it successfully used a space laser technology called “optical inter-satellite link” (OISL) to beam a 100 gigabit per second connection between two of its Project Kuiper satellites stationed 621 miles apart from each other in low Earth orbit. That’s roughly the distance between New York and Cincinnati. Amazon believes that same tech could help it soon deliver fast and reliable broadband internet to some of the most remote regions on Earth.
Typically, satellites are limited to sending data between satellite antennas on the ground and another spacecraft. An OISL eliminates the need for a data downlink to the ground which can increase internet speed and reduce latency, particularly for end-users in remote areas. Amazon’s test breaks that trend by using lasers to bypass the need for that ground link altogether and instead communicate directly between satellites. In practical terms, that means the connection could bring strong internet connection to cruisers in the ocean or offshore oil rigs many miles away from land.
“With optical inter-satellite links across our satellite constellation, Project Kuiper will effectively operate as a mesh network in space,” Project Kuiper Vice President of Technology Rajeev Badyal said in a statement.
“Mesh networks” generally refer to a group of connected devices that work side-by-side to form a single network. In a press release, Amazon says it plans to outfit its satellites with multiple optical terminals so several of them can connect with each other simultaneously. In theory, that should establish “high-speed laser cross links” that form the basis for a fast mesh network in space. Amazon expects this space-based mesh network should be capable of transferring data around…
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