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Amazon Sets Mid-2026 Launch for Leo Satellite Internet

The pledge underscores pressure to extend a lagging satellite rollout.

Overview

  • CEO Andy Jassy set the timeline in his annual letter to shareholders, with consumer details still not specified.
  • Amazon says Leo targets up to 1 Gbps downloads, stronger uplinks, lower prices, and built-in links to AWS for data, analytics, and AI.
  • The constellation has 241 satellites in orbit out of 3,236 approved, and Amazon has asked the FCC to delay a July 2026 halfway deployment deadline.
  • Select enterprises began testing late last year, and airlines including Delta and JetBlue plan to use Leo for in‑flight Wi‑Fi alongside partners like AT&T, Vodafone, DirecTV Latin America, and NASA.
  • Amazon relies on outside rockets, including SpaceX, until Blue Origin’s New Glenn is operational, while Starlink already flies a fleet of more than 10,000 satellites.