Elon Musk’s supremacy in the field of satellite communications is directly challenged by another technology billionaire.
Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, has announced the launch of TeraWave, a global network of over 5,400 satellites designed for ultra-fast communications, which directly competes with a market dominated so far by Elon Musk and his Starlink constellation, Reuters reports.
The project marks the most ambitious attempt to date to erode the advantage accumulated by Musk in orbital infrastructure, at a time when satellites are becoming essential for governments, major companies, and new artificial intelligence applications.
TeraWave: 5,408 Satellites and Terabit Speeds
According to Blue Origin, the TeraWave network will consist of 5,408 satellites in low Earth orbit, with the first launches scheduled for the last quarter of 2027.
The company promises speeds of up to 6 terabits per second anywhere globally, thanks to direct optical communications between satellites.
Unlike networks targeting the general public, TeraWave is designed for applications involving massive data volumes and low latency – from data centers and multinational corporations to government programs with strategic significance.
Blue Origin estimates that the network could serve approximately 100,000 enterprise customers globally.
A Huge Stake: Data Centers and AI Moved to Orbit
The announcement comes at a time when the space industry is gearing up for a new phase: the development of orbital data centers, intended to take on a portion of the increasing processing burden generated by the explosion of artificial intelligence applications.
On Earth, energy and infrastructure costs are rising rapidly, and space is increasingly seen as a viable alternative for global-scale data processing and transfer.
In this context, TeraWave joins a growing list of commercial constellations under development.
A Rival for Starlink, but with a Different Strategy
TeraWave enters into direct competition with Starlink, which currently has approximately 10,000 operational satellites and over 6 million customers in 140 countries. The essential difference lies in the target audience.
"What makes TeraWave different? It is built specifically for enterprise customers," said Blue Origin's CEO, Dave Limp, in a post on X.
Unlike Starlink, which serves individual users as well as companies or security agencies, the Blue Origin network is exclusively dedicated to the corporate and institutional segment.
The company claims that TeraWave terminals can be quickly installed anywhere in the world and integrated with existing high-capacity infrastructures, without providing additional technical details.
A Global Race Accelerating, Including with China
However, the competition is not limited to American billionaires. Several Chinese companies are accelerating the development of similar constellations, and Beijing is investing in reusable rockets capable of launching thousands of satellites, replicating SpaceX's strategy.
For Blue Origin, a key role will be played by the reusable rocket New Glenn, which has flown twice so far, but its launch pace remains well below that of Falcon 9, SpaceX's main competitive advantage.
Blue Origin has not yet provided details on the total costs of the network, the complete implementation schedule, or integration with future space data centers.