Amazon's Project Kuiper selects Ireland for early roll-out in direct challenge to Starlink
Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the National Space Centre in Midleton, Co Cork, with Alison Dunn, left, country manager of Amazon Ireland, and Holly Sullivan, vice-president of worldwide economic development at Amazon. Picture: Gerard McCarthy
Amazon said Ireland would be one of the first countries in the world where it would roll out its satellite internet service, competing directly with Elon Musk's Starlink.
The retail and tech giant is deploying thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit, connected to create a mesh network in space. The satellites will connect with several ground stations dotted around the globe, with the National Space Centre (NSC) in East Cork being one of the first.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin joined representatives of Amazon's Project Kuiper at the NSC in Elfordstown near Midleton in recent days to mark the regulatory approval of a satellite earth station there.
The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has granted permission for operations within the 18 GHz and 28 GHz frequency bands, enabling the delivery of Project Kuiper's satellite broadband services to Ireland.
In April of this year, the first 27 satellites were launched in the US, and since then, a further 102 have been sent into orbit, with another launch to take place this Wednesday that will add a further 24 satellites to the constellation.
Amazon said the initial constellation would include more than 3,200 satellites, and it is continuing to increase their production, processing and launch rates ahead of an initial service rollout.
Project Kuiper will roll out to select government and business customers later this year as part of a commercial beta, and will roll out more widely next year as it adds coverage and capacity to the network. Amazon said Ireland would be among the first countries in Europe to receive general service.
Satellite internet services have been growing in popularity in recent years, largely led by Starlink. It provides internet coverage in locations that are difficult to reach using standard methods such as fibre cabling or microwave technologies. A large number of competing satellite services are now in development.
An economic impact study conducted by Oxford Economics, commissioned by Amazon, found Project Kuiper's investments in the EU will contribute €2.8bn to GDP over the next decade and support an average of 3,270 jobs annually across the region.
In Ireland specifically, the gateway operation at the NSC represents an important addition to the country's growing space sector. NSC's 10-acre campus at Elfordstown has been providing commercial satellite services since 2010, serving as a hub for Ireland's space industry. The addition of Project Kuiper's gateway further establishes the facility as a centre of excellence for satellite communications in Europe.
"Today's announcement represents an exciting step in Ireland's growing role in the global space economy," Mr Martin said. "This approval aligns perfectly with our National Digital Strategy to ensure Ireland remains a leader in technology, with high-speed connectivity in every corner of our country by 2028. We welcome this partnership between the National Space Centre and Project Kuiper and look forward to the positive impact this will have.”
"National Space Centre is proud to partner with Amazon to deliver Project Kuiper in Ireland. This collaboration highlights Elfordstown's role as a hub for cutting-edge satellite communications and strengthens Ireland's position in the global space sector," said Rory Fitzpatrick, chief executive of the National Space Centre.
The announcement also comes during Irish Space Week, which aims to highlight the growing importance of the space sector to Ireland's economy and technological development.
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