Amazon and Verizon Try to Tackle Rural Internet
Amazon and Verizon have decided to join forces to try to offer internet services to more people in rural areas of the country. This partnership could be the largest of its kind and could pave the way for more companies to do the same in order to bridge the digital divide that’s present. One way that Verizon hopes to accomplish this is by using Amazon’s satellites. With the technology offered by Verizon, Project Kuiper should be strong enough to reach more rural areas so that consumers have options when it comes to internet service.
Working Together
Verizon and Amazon announced the partnership in early November. Once all of the connections are made, Verizon plans to use Project Kuiper to enhance the 4G and 5G services that it already offers so that coverage can be extended. The satellite system offers the flexibility that Verizon needs in order to get satellite internet services to more people. There will likely be an added layer of connectivity once the partnership with Amazon is in full swing. Verizon and Amazon hope that they can begin offering only 5G services in the future as the network is designed so that it has the flexibility that consumers need and offers wireless access that’s a bit more fixed in place.
Investments
Amazon wants to put about $10 billion into its satellite project and has already consulted with the Federal Communications Commission to get the approval to put over 3,000 satellites in orbit. Even though the plans are in place, Amazon hasn’t launched them yet. The two companies are working together to determine how the project will be carried out and how the technical aspects will work before the satellites are launched. When the project is launched, households should be able to have a broadband option that’s wireless with more options available across the globe once the details are complete.
An area that Verizon and Amazon want to work with is the agriculture industry. They want to be able to provide options for how the industry operates and grows over the course of the next few years. The goal is to develop smart farms and to connect the industry to rural areas of America through more types of technology with the hope that farms and businesses can begin producing more food for more people across the world. The partnership is one that is seen to compete with Starlink, which is the satellite project that’s been launched by Elon Musk. The Starlink project has many of the same goals that Amazon and Verizon have but was launched in 2015 compared to the new project being launched in 2019 with Verizon.
Verizon has been a staple in many households because of the quality of the services that are offered. Connections should be a bit more reliable for households that could already have home internet services so that they don’t get disconnected while they’re online. This should then allow for households to be able to complete tasks that are work-related or those that are related to education without getting behind other households across the country. With an enhanced connection, the companies want to offer better streaming services so that households also have more options when it comes to television. Other activities should also be positively impacted as well, such as gaming or uploading and downloading files.
