Amazon’s Starlink competitor Leo gets a new date
Amazon's Leo satellite internet service is now targeted for mid-2026 commercial launch, positioning itself as a lower-cost, faster alternative to Starlink with native AWS integration for enterprise data operations. However, the company faces significant execution risks, having deployed only 241 of its 3,236 approved satellites and requiring FCC approval for deployment timeline extensions, while SpaceX maintains a competitive advantage with 10,000+ active Starlink satellites. For IT organizations, this represents an emerging multi-cloud connectivity option that could reduce WAN costs and enable hybrid data strategies, but requires careful evaluation of vendor maturity and service reliability before adoption.
The Verge2 min read
An Amazon Leo terminal being installed. | Image: Amazon Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says the company's space-internet service Leo (formerly known as Project Kuiper) will "launch in mid-2026." I'm going to assume that means proper commercial availability since the company already announced the start of an "enterprise preview" at the end of 2025, when the service was supposed to originally launch. Unlike SpaceX's Starlink service, Amazon doesn't (yet) have its own fleet of rockets to regularly send Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit. That's meant hitching rides with a variety of launch partners, including SpaceX, until Jeff Bezos's own reusable New Glenn rocket is fully operational. Amazon has FCC ap … Read the full story at The Verge.