Jeff Bezos has disclosed that Blue Origin will deploy a new high-capacity communications network designed to challenge Elon Musk’s grip on space-based connectivity.
The network, called TeraWave, will place 5,408 satellites into orbit starting from the fourth quarter of 2027.
Unlike consumer-focused services, Blue Origin says this system is built for governments, data centres and large organisations that need to move large amounts of data reliably and at speed.
At full capacity, the company claims TeraWave could deliver data rates of up to six terabits per second anywhere on Earth, using optical links between satellites.
The focus is changing from basic broadband to infrastructure that could underpin global computing, national security systems and enterprise operations. Blue Origin says TeraWave is “optimised for enterprise, data centre, and government customers” and could serve up to 100,000 clients worldwide.
This inevitably strengthens Bezos’ competition with Musk. Starlink, operated by SpaceX, is far ahead in scale. By late 2025, it had deployed about 9,300 satellites and built a global user base of more than nine million people across over 155 markets.
Its model targets households, airlines, ships and businesses, offering typical speeds of 50 to 200 Mbps with low latency.
Elon Musk was quick to respond online, writing on X that “Starlink space to ground laser links will exceed this,” in reference to the speeds Blue Origin is advertising.
SpaceX has also been pressing regulators to treat satellite systems as essential infrastructure for future wireless networks, showing that it wants formal recognition of Starlink’s strategic role.
What makes TeraWave different is that Blue Origin is building the network as a backbone for future computing needs, including the possibility of data centres operating beyond Earth.
Musk has openly discussed similar ideas. Commenting last year on the prospect of space-based data centres, he said, “simply scaling up Starlink V3 satellites, which have high-speed laser links would work,” adding: “SpaceX will be doing this.”
Bezos has revealed a similar long-term view, predicting that data centres could begin moving into space within the next decade or two. Google chief executive Sundar Pichai has also weighed in, saying the idea may sound “crazy,” but becomes logical when considering the scale of computing demand ahead.
The announcement also sits alongside Amazon’s rebranded consumer satellite project from Project Kuiper to Leo, with plans for more than 3,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites providing standard broadband.
In Nigeria, regulators have already cleared Kuiper to operate, granting both Internet Service Provider and International Data Access licences, setting up a direct challenge to Starlink in Africa’s largest telecoms market.
