Amazon
Andy Jassy
Summary
Amazon is building Amazon Leo, formerly Project Kuiper, as a low Earth orbit broadband network for customers and communities beyond the reach of existing terrestrial infrastructure. The system combines thousands of satellites with a global ground network and a three-terminal hardware lineup: Leo Nano, Leo Pro, and Leo Ultra. Amazon's enterprise beta went live April 8, 2026 with partners including Verizon, AT&T, Vodafone, JetBlue, and NASA, and CEO Andy Jassy has targeted mid-2026 for broader commercial launch. As of May 2026, 331 production satellites are in orbit, with LE-03 (36 more on an Ariane 64) scheduled June 17. The FCC granted a waiver June 5, 2026 for missing the July 30 50%-deployment milestone (1,618 of 3,236 satellites), imposing a temporary spectrum priority reduction on post-July-30 satellites until March 2028. The planned Globalstar acquisition (expected to close 2027) adds direct-to-device capability, and Delta Air Lines signed for a 500-aircraft Amazon Leo Wi-Fi rollout beginning 2028.
Main Products
What's Next
Launch LE-03 and sustain aggressive 2026 deployment cadence
LE-03 — an Ariane 64 carrying 36 satellites (the largest Ariane Leo payload) — is scheduled June 17, 2026. Amazon must continue monthly launches at similar scale through the rest of 2026 and 2027 to approach the 1,618-satellite 50% threshold and restore full spectrum priority. Reaching 50% before March 2028 would immediately recover the priority status temporarily lost due to missing the July 30, 2026 FCC milestone.
Launch commercial service in mid-2026
Transition from enterprise beta (live since April 8, 2026) to the broader commercial service CEO Andy Jassy targeted for mid-2026 in his shareholder letter. The initial commercial launch will focus on enterprise, government, and mobility customers in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, and Germany before expanding coverage toward the equator.
Close Globalstar acquisition and integrate D2D capabilities
Complete the Globalstar transaction (announced April 2026, expected to close 2027) and fold Globalstar's 100+ country spectrum licences, Band 53/n53 spectrum, 24 LEO satellites, and direct-to-device expertise into future generations of Amazon Leo services.
Execute Delta and JetBlue aviation deployments
Begin installing Amazon Leo hardware on 500 Delta Air Lines aircraft for a 2028 rollout and on selected JetBlue aircraft for 2027 — together covering two of the U.S.'s largest carriers with next-generation in-flight connectivity powered by Leo and integrated with AWS services.
Operations & Revenue
Enterprise beta went live April 8, 2026, with Verizon, AT&T, Vodafone, JetBlue, NBN Co, NASA, Hunt Energy, and Crane Worldwide testing the network. CEO Andy Jassy has targeted mid-2026 for commercial launch. Amazon had 331 production satellites in orbit as of May 2026, with LE-03 (36 more satellites on Ariane 64) scheduled June 17, 2026. On June 5, 2026, the FCC granted Amazon a waiver of the July 30 50%-deployment deadline (1,618 of 3,236 satellites), imposing temporary spectrum priority demotion for post-July-30 satellites until March 2028 or until the 50% milestone is reached — the delay attributed to launch vehicle availability. Amazon still must complete all 3,236 satellites by July 30, 2029.
Revenue Streams
Residential and Small-Business Broadband
Consumer and SMB subscriptions delivered through Leo Nano and Leo Pro terminals for locations that lack reliable terrestrial broadband coverage.
Enterprise and Government Connectivity
Private networking, direct cloud connectivity, and managed broadband services for enterprise and public-sector customers using Leo Pro and Leo Ultra hardware.
Backhaul and network-extension services for carriers and connectivity providers, including AT&T in the U.S. and Vanu's rural Africa deployments.
In-flight connectivity for commercial airlines. Delta Air Lines signed March 31, 2026 for a 500-aircraft rollout starting 2028, integrating Leo with AWS and AI for the full travel experience. JetBlue also signed for a 2027 hardware installation program. Delta is the largest airline customer and chose Leo over Starlink.
Key Metrics
Employees
~1,576,000
Est. Annual Revenue
Enterprise beta revenue since April 2026; commercial service launch targeted mid-2026; Delta Airlines (500 planes, 2028) and JetBlue aviation deals represent future large revenue streams
Timeline
Amazon follows LA-05 with LA-06 and LE-02 in late April, lifting total production satellites launched to about 302. The company also announces a plan to acquire Globalstar to expand Amazon Leo with future direct-to-device services.
Delta Air Lines signs a multi-year agreement with Amazon Leo on March 31, 2026 to roll out in-flight Wi-Fi to an initial 500 aircraft starting in 2028. Delta — the largest airline to adopt Amazon Leo — joins JetBlue as an aviation customer and integrates Amazon's Leo, AWS, and AI capabilities into its wider travel-experience platform.
Amazon Leo's enterprise beta goes live April 8, 2026 with Verizon, AT&T, Vodafone, JetBlue, NBN Co, Vrio, NASA, Hunt Energy, and Crane Worldwide as beta partners. By May 2026, 331 production satellites are in orbit. CEO Andy Jassy's shareholder letter targets mid-2026 for broader commercial launch. An Ariane 64 mission (LE-03) carrying 36 satellites is scheduled June 17, 2026.
On June 5, 2026, the FCC grants Amazon Leo a limited waiver allowing it to miss the July 30, 2026 deadline to have 50% of its 3,236-satellite constellation (1,618 satellites) operational — Amazon had only 331 deployed due to launch-vehicle availability constraints. As a condition, any satellite launched after July 30 loses spectrum priority status until March 30, 2028, or until Amazon reaches the 50% milestone sooner. The full 3,236-satellite requirement by July 30, 2029 remains unchanged.