Vrio Corporation, the parent company of DIRECTV Latin America and Sky Brasil, has partnered with Amazon’s AMZN Project Kuiper to offer satellite broadband in seven South American countries.
What Happened: In a press release on Thursday, Vrio and Amazon announced that the agreement aims to provide fast, affordable internet to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. This initiative targets approximately 383 million people, including 200 million without internet access, as estimated by the World Bank.
DIRECTV Latin America and Sky Brasil will leverage Project Kuiper’s low-latency, high-bandwidth satellite network to deliver reliable internet to regions where traditional connectivity options are impractical or costly.
Darío Werthein, president of Vrio Corp., emphasized the importance of bridging the digital divide and enhancing community development through this collaboration.
He stated, “Our commitment translates into action. Providing internet access across the region ensures the development of communities.”
Panos Panay, Amazon's senior vice president for devices and services, highlighted the transformative potential of this initiative, noting that reliable broadband access enables online learning, business operations, and streaming entertainment.
Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology and head of Project Kuiper at Amazon, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating that the network’s capacity and flexibility align with their mission to deliver affordable broadband to underserved areas.
Project Kuiper plans to begin deploying its satellite constellation soon, with service demonstrations expected later this year.
Why It Matters: This partnership is a significant step in Amazon’s broader strategy to expand its satellite internet services globally. Recently, Amazon has been making moves to enter the satellite communications sector in India, closely following the trajectory of Elon Musk‘s Starlink.
Moreover, Amazon’s Project Kuiper has made significant advancements in technology. The company recently completed successful demonstrations of its latest optical inter-satellite link (OISL) technology, which uses infrared lasers to send data directly between satellites. This technology achieved 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) links over nearly 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) during test windows, ensuring that OISLs will be operational on the first production satellites in 2024. This innovation is expected to bridge the gap in remote connectivity across land, sea, air, and space, further enhancing the capabilities of Project Kuiper.
Price Action: On Thursday, Amazon was trading at $186.13 in the pre-market at the time of writing after it closed at $186.89, according to Benzinga Pro.
Image by mundissima via Shutterstock
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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