Image: Amazon
Amazon is pulling back the curtain on Amazon Leo — its newly rebranded satellite internet service, formerly known as Project Kuiper — and giving select enterprise customers their first chance to test the system ahead of a wider launch next year. The company revealed production designs and specs for its lineup of customer terminals, including the new gigabit-class Leo Ultra antenna, as part of a major update this week.
Amazon rebranded Project Kuiper earlier this month, noting that the moniker was an internal codename during development, and the planned commercial launch in early 2026 necessitated a formal renaming. Amazon Leo is set to debut in five countries, including Canada and the U.S., in Q1 2026.
With more than 150 Amazon Leo satellites now in low Earth orbit following the system’s first launch in April, Amazon is racing to meet FCC deadlines that require roughly half of its planned 3,236-satellite constellation to be deployed by July 2026.
Monday’s announcement includes a first look at Leo Ultra, which Amazon calls “the fastest commercial phased array antenna in production.” The full-duplex phased array terminal, powered by custom Leo silicon, can deliver download speeds of up to 1 Gbps and uploads up to 400 Mbps. Amazon Leo VP Rajeev Badyal previously showed the service exceeding gigabit speeds in September, signaling Amazon’s intention to compete directly with Starlink.
Amazon also unveiled Leo Nano, a lightweight dish designed to deliver speeds up to 100 Mbps, and Leo Pro, which offers a balance between performance and size with speeds up to 400 Mbps.
Image: Amazon
Amazon says the new terminals are designed to cater to everyone from residential users to enterprise customers and public-sector deployments. “Amazon Leo represents a massive opportunity for businesses operating in challenging environments,” said Chris Weber, Vice President of Consumer and Enterprise Business for Amazon Leo.
“From our satellite and network design to our portfolio of high-performance phased array antennas, we’ve designed Amazon Leo to meet the needs of some of the most complex business and government customers out there, and we’re excited to provide them with the tools they need to transform their operations, no matter where they are in the world.”
The company highlighted new networking features that are bundled with Amazon Leo, including Direct to AWS connectivity, which “allows customers to securely move data from remote assets to private networks without touching the public internet,” as well as Private Network Interconnect options at major colocation facilities.
Amazon also confirmed it has begun shipping units of the Leo Pro and Leo Ultra terminals to customers such as JetBlue, Vanu Inc., Hunt Energy Network, and Connected Farms as part of a new enterprise preview program. “We’re testing Amazon Leo with select customers as part of a new enterprise preview program, and we’ll expand as we add coverage and capacity to the network,” the Amazon Leo team wrote.
In addition to commercial partnerships, Amazon Leo has secured more than $100 million in BEAD funding from the U.S. government to expand broadband access in underserved areas.
With Amazon Leo terminals now in real-world testing and more satellites launching soon, Amazon appears to be ramping aggressively ahead of its 2026 commercial debut — and directly into Starlink’s territory.
