JEFF Bezos has overcome a major hurdle in his bid to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service.
Billionaires are turning to the skies to beam broadband to people’s homes from above.
Elon Musk is currently leading the way on satellite internet[/caption]
Bezos wants more than 3,000 satellites in space[/caption]
The Amazon founder’s Project Kuiper competitor has received the green light to operate an earth station by the UK watchdog.
“This decision means Kuiper will be authorised to provide satellite connectivity services such as high speed, low latency broadband to customers in the UK,” regulator Ofcom said.
The move could boost connectivity, particularly in rural areas that suffer with poor speeds.
And the greater competition could ultimately bring down costs for satellite internet services too.
Expert Paolo Pescatore, from PP Foresight, told The Sun: “Satellite remains the next and last frontier in connectivity.
“There’s a frenzy of activity around satellite connectivity. This in stark contrast to a few years ago as users switched from satellite TV to streaming services.
“Ultimately this is good news for consumers to ensure they are able to receive connectivity in hard to reach areas.
“It is encouraging to see a vast of providers starting to get serious about using satellite for the last mile. Ultimately reliable and robust connectivity is still highly sought after among all users.”
Elon Musk, 53, has led the way so far with Starlink which has almost 7,000 satellites now in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The SpaceX-operated service has been used by Ukraine to maintain communications in the war against Russia.
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, 61, has similar space ambitions and the two billionaires have been competing over Nasa contracts to fly to Mars.
But where satellite internet is concerned, Bezos’ Project Kuiper has so far lagged behind.
No fully functional Kuiper satellites are in space yet, only two prototypes.
But Bezos plans to launch more than 3,000.
Amazon says the UK will be among the first countries to receive service once Kuiper is available.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has already granted Amazon permission to launch 3,236 satellites across five phases – and now Ofcom has granted an earth station network licence.
Nina Beebe, Kuiper Regulatory Senior Lead, said: “There are still too many places in the UK where broadband access is unreliable or where it doesn’t exist at all, and LEO systems like Project Kuiper can play an important role in helping connect those beyond the reach of existing networks.”
How does Elon Musk’s net worth compare to his Premier League rivals?
By Joshua Jones
ELON MUSK is said to be interested in buying Liverpool FC.
He’s the world’s richest man – but incredibly, he WOULDN’T be the wealthiest owner in the Premier League.
Here, we run down the 10 richest owners, and where Musk would slot in…
1. Newcastle United – Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund – £538bn
Far and away at the top of the pile is the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. The PIF invests on behalf of the country’s government and therefore has astronomical cash reserves, with a latest estimate of around £538bn.
2. Manchester United – Sir Jim Ratcliffe – £29.7bn
Sir Jim successfully obtained 25 per cent of Manchester United just over a year ago. The lifelong supporter made his billions through his petrochemicals company Ineos, which has delved into sport to buy stakes in Ligue 1 side Nice, Lausanne in Switzerland and F1 team Mercedes.
3. Manchester City – Sheikh Mansour – £17bn
Sheikh Mansour purchased the club in September 2008 and has transformed them into a trophy-winning machine, culminating in the 2022-23 Treble. Mansour comes from the royal family in the United Arab Emirates and is both vice president and deputy prime minister of the gulf state.
4. Arsenal – Stan Kroenke – £12bn
Weighing in fourth is Arsenal boss Stan Kroenke at £12bn. The Gunners chief made his money through real estate development, particularly shopping centres and apartment buildings.
5. Fulham – Shahid Khan – £9.7bn
Like Kroenke, Shahid Khan has plenty of interest in American sports as the owner of NFL side Jacksonville Jaguars. He also co-owns All Elite Wrestling with son Tony.
6. Aston Villa – Nassef Sawiris – £5.8bn
Nassef Sawiris invested in Aston Villa in 2018 following their play-off defeat to Fulham. He is the youngest of Egyptian billionaire Onsi Sawiris’ three sons – with his dad launching the Orascom engineering and construction conglomerate.
7. Crystal Palace – Josh Harris – £5.7bn
Harris may only have 18 per cent of Crystal Palace but the American owner of Apollo Global Management is a big-time player. He has teams in the NBA, NHL and NFL on top of his involvement in a motorsport racing side.
8. Joe Lewis – Tottenham – £5bn
Joe Lewis first got into business through helping at his dad’s London catering company before selling it off and delving into currency trading. He is now worth around £5bn and invests in many companies, including the ENIC Group, co-owned by Daniel Levy who is worth £500m, that has full possession of Spurs.
9. Chelsea – Todd Boehly – £5bn
Boehly is the face of the new era at Stamford Bridge after fronting the £4.25bn takeover of Chelsea in May 2022. The American oversaw a staggering £1bn worth of spending in just three transfer windows in West London.
10. Liverpool – John Henry – £4.2bn
John W Henry is Liverpool’s current owner and heads up the Fenway Sports Group that runs the Merseyside club as well as the Boston Red Sox. Henry grew up as the son of soya bean farmers and used that expertise to get into business and went on to become a multi-billionaire.
NEW ENTRY: Elon Musk – £339bn
The outspoken entrepreneur’s net worth fluctuates on the value of his companies Tesla and SpaceX but he’s currently the world’s richest man. He also owns Twitter and more recently has become a political player after cosying up to President elect Donald Trump. At his current worth, he would rank as the SECOND richest owner in the Premier League.
