May 2, 2024
https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/16/amazons-project-kuiper-has-developed-a-small-low-cost-customer-terminal-for-its-broadband-satellite-network/

Amazons Task Kuiper is possibly among businesss most passionate tasks yet: Structure a globe-spanning broadband cordless network to provide affordable connection to underserved communities. Task Kuiper has actually made advancement this year with an essential FCC approval, and now its likewise produced a design of a necessary piece of hardware that will help its future customers take advantage of the satellite network on the ground.
This is really a substantial part of what will assist make Task Kuiper a service thats broadly readily available, and a development that puts the Amazon task in an industry-leading position with an unique benefit. The model established by the group interacts on the Ka-band of the cordless spectrum, and is the tiniest and lightest piece of hardware that can do that. It has the ability to achieve speeds of as much as 400 Mbps, and Amazon specifies that itll truly enhance through future versions.
For technical info on how this was achieved and what it shows for the last design, Amazon describes from a post describing the design procedure:
Rather of positioning antenna ranges nearby to one another, we utilized small antenna element structures to overlay one over the other. Our design makes use of a mix of digital and analog elements to digitally assist Ka-band beams towards satellites passing overhead.
The outcome is a single aperture phased variety antenna that determines 12 inches in size, making it 3 times smaller sized and proportionately lighter than tradition antenna designs. This order of magnitude reduction in size will reduce production expenditures by a comparable procedure, enabling Amazon to provide customers a terminal that is more cost-effective and simpler to establish.
Image Credits: Amazon
The bottom line is that Amazons design for Kuiper can significantly reduce the expense and complexity of establishing the ground-based centers that will be needed in order to provide access to its network to end-users. Its also low-latency, and Amazon has actually found that it can supply 4K streaming capabilities even throughout its screening with geostationary satellites today– which are as much as 50 times even more out of where Task Kuiper satellites will end up being positioned in low-Earth orbit.
Amazon isnt yet sharing particular rates info about what the terminal will eventually cost, beyond promoting its expense relative to existing choices. Ill be speaking with Amazon SVP of Devices and Services Dave Limp at TC Sessions: Space today, and well go over the antenna in addition to whatever else about the task.

This is truly a huge part of what will assist make Task Kuiper a service thats broadly readily available, and an improvement that puts the Amazon job in an industry-leading position with an unique benefit. It has the capability to achieve speeds of as much as 400 Mbps, and Amazon specifies that itll actually improve through future variations.
Rather of placing antenna varieties neighboring to one another, we used little antenna aspect structures to overlay one over the other.