Amazon Leo reaches satellite threshold for initial internet service

After last night’s launch, Amazon’s low-Earth-orbit network reached 396 deployed satellites. Chris Weber called that total “enough to support continuous service across initial latitudes.”

The company rebranded Project Kuiper as Amazon Leo on Nov. 13, 2025. The permanent name reflects the low-Earth-orbit network behind the service. At that point, Amazon had more than 150 satellites in orbit, had begun initial network testing and opened an enterprise preview for select customers before a broader rollout. The system is meant to reach customers and communities beyond the reach of existing networks, including billions of people without high-speed internet and millions of businesses, governments and other organizations in hard-to-connect places.

Amazon is already laying out the hardware for that market. The company introduced Leo Ultra, with download speeds up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds up to 400 Mbps, and called it its fastest commercial phased-array antenna in production. JetBlue is among Amazon’s early customers and partners. JetBlue president Marty St. George called the partnership a reflection of the airline’s push to stay ahead on inflight Wi-Fi.

The Federal Communications Commission originally required Amazon to deploy about half of its planned 3,236-satellite Gen1 constellation by July 30, 2026. In June, the FCC granted Amazon a conditional waiver after Amazon cited launch-vehicle shortages, manufacturing disruptions and spaceport constraints. Amazon still must deploy the full Gen1 constellation by July 30, 2029, and satellites launched after July 30, 2026 temporarily lose priority status unless Amazon meets FCC conditions to regain it. SpaceX, which operates Starlink and has more than 10 million subscribers, opposed the waiver and argued Amazon should wait for a future processing round.

In January, Amazon earmarked at least $10 billion for the network, booked more than 100 launches and bought additional rides on SpaceX, Blue Origin and other rockets.