Blue Origin’s ‘TeraWave’ vs Starlink: the next battle for orbital internet infrastructure

/ Technology / By

Summary: Blue Origin says it will launch more than 5,400 satellites to build a new global communications network called TeraWave, positioned as a rival to Starlink. The company is framing it as an enterprise/government-grade network for moving huge amounts of data, rather than consumer broadband.

The larger story is that low-Earth orbit is turning into contested infrastructure — like undersea cables, but in space — with major implications for resilience, geopolitics, and congestion.

What Blue Origin announced

From the BBC report:

  • Blue Origin plans 5,400+ satellites.
  • Network name: TeraWave.
  • Claim: continuous global internet access and very fast data movement.
  • Claimed peak throughput: up to 6 terabits per second.
  • Starlink remains far larger today.
  • Starlink serves individuals; Blue Origin says TeraWave focuses on data centres, businesses, and governments.
  • Blue Origin says launches begin by end of 2027.

Why satellite internet is booming

Satellite networks are attractive because they can provide:

  • global coverage
  • redundancy when terrestrial networks fail
  • connectivity for remote industries and disaster response

For institutions, the value is often:

  • resilience
  • rapid deployment
  • independent routing

In a world of geopolitical shocks and natural disasters, that’s increasingly strategic.

Enterprise focus is a business choice — and a political one

Blue Origin’s stated focus on businesses and governments suggests:

  • fewer customers, larger contracts
  • potentially higher margins
  • longer procurement cycles

But it also means:

  • more regulatory oversight
  • national security considerations
  • export controls and geopolitical alignment questions

The execution gap: building a constellation is an operations marathon

Launching thousands of satellites requires:

  • mass manufacturing
  • rapid launch cadence
  • ground infrastructure
  • collision avoidance operations
  • customer terminals and integration

Starlink’s moat is as much operational as technical.

So the main open question isn’t “can Blue Origin describe a network?” It’s:

  • can it deploy and operate it reliably at scale?

The orbital congestion problem

As more constellations appear:

  • collision risk rises
  • spectrum coordination gets harder
  • debris mitigation becomes critical

This is why “space traffic management” is becoming a real policy domain.

The externality is obvious: one bad debris event can affect everyone.

Throughput claims: what matters in practice

A headline throughput figure doesn’t automatically translate to user experience.

Real-world service depends on:

  • capacity per region
  • ground station density
  • terminal hardware constraints
  • how traffic is routed

It’s like mobile networks: peak numbers are less useful than consistent capacity.

What to watch next

  1. Regulatory filings (spectrum and orbital approvals).
  2. Manufacturing plans (where and how satellites are built).
  3. Launch cadence (can Blue Origin hit a sustained schedule?).
  4. Anchor customers (major contracts signal seriousness).
  5. Debris mitigation and transparency (trust in operations matters).

Bottom line

Blue Origin’s TeraWave is a credible entry in the “mega-constellation” era.

But the winners in this market will be decided by execution: the ability to deploy thousands of satellites, manage them safely in a crowded orbit, and deliver reliable service that customers will pay for.

Sources

n English