Amazon allows businesses to test Leo satellite service, Starlink rival
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is shown on its launch pad carrying Amazon’s Project Kuiper internet network satellites as the vehicle is prepared for launch at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 28, 2025.
Joe Skipper | Reuters
Amazon said Monday it will begin allowing businesses to test its recently rebranded internet-from-space service that seeks to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink.
Select businesses will be able to test Amazon Leo production hardware and software as part of an “enterprise preview” of the service “ahead of a wider rollout,” the company said in a blog post. The test program will allow Amazon to collect feedback and “tailor solutions for specific industries” ahead of a broader launch, the company said.
Earlier this month, Amazon renamed its satellite internet offering from Project Kuiper to Amazon Leo and rolled out a new website to market the service. The name is a nod to low-Earth orbit, a region of space that’s within 1,200 miles of Earth’s surface and where Amazon’s satellite constellation will be concentrated.
Six years ago, Amazon unveiled its plans to build a constellation of 3,236 low-Earth satellites, designed to provide high-speed, low-latency internet to consumers, corporations and governments, offering connections through square-shaped terminals.
The company has sent up more than 150 satellites since April through a series of rocket launches handled by partners, such as United Launch Alliance and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
It’s aiming to compete with Starlink, owned by SpaceX, which currently dominates the market and has nearly 9,000 satellites in orbit.
Amazon has inked deals with JetBlue, L3Harris and Australia’s NBN internet network, among others. Amazon said it’s shipping units of its “Pro” terminals, as well as its “Ultra” antennas, to members of its enterprise preview program.
The company on Monday showed off the final production design of its Ultra model, which will offer download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second and upload speeds up to 400 megabits per second powered by an in-house custom silicon chip, “making it the fastest commercial phased array antenna in production.”
Amazon said it expects to expand the program to more customers as it adds coverage and capacity to the Leo network.
The company has yet to disclose pricing and availability for consumers.
WATCH: Amazon launches first Kuiper internet satellites into space
