TeraWave Aims to Deliver 6-Terabit Satellite Internet as a Competitor to Starlink

SpaceX currently leads the pack with the most satellites beaming internet down to Earth, but competition is heating up. Blue Origin, led by Jeff Bezos, has unveiled its TeraWave network, promising an impressive bandwidth of up to 6Tb for both uploads and downloads, accessible from anywhere on the planet.

However, there’s a catch: even with satellite launches set to begin around late 2027, direct consumer connections won’t be available. This is intentional, as Blue Origin’s CEO, Dave Limp, noted that the network is “purpose-built for enterprise customers.”

TeraWave features a “multi-orbit” architecture comprising 5,408 optically linked satellites. Most of these will operate in low-Earth orbit, providing ground customers with wireless connections at speeds reaching 144Gbps. Additionally, 128 satellites will be positioned in medium-Earth orbit, enabling potential 6Tb bidirectional connections.

In contrast to Starlink and Amazon’s emerging Leo satellite internet service, Blue Origin plans to limit its customer base to around 100,000, focusing on “tens of thousands of enterprise, data center, and government users who need dependable connectivity for essential operations.” Meanwhile, Amazon is also eyeing the enterprise market with its Leo Ultra antennas, which promise download speeds of 1Gbps and upload speeds of 400Mbps, while Starlink aims to roll out gigabit speeds this year.