According to Aviation Week, Amazon has rebranded its Project Kuiper satellite internet constellation to “Amazon Leo” as it transitions from research to commercial operations. CEO Andy Jassy announced the permanent name change on November 13, revealing the program now has over 150 satellites in orbit achieving speeds greater than 1 Gbps. The company is actively signing corporate customers including JetBlue, L3Harris, DirecTV Latin America, Sky Brasil, and Australia’s NBN Co. Amazon plans to eventually operate more than 3,200 satellites targeting approximately 500 million households and millions of enterprises. The service aims to launch commercially in mid-2026 and will offer three flat-panel antennas with bandwidths ranging from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps.
The satellite internet race heats up
This rebranding basically signals that Amazon is getting serious about competing in the satellite internet space. And let’s be real – they’re coming for Starlink’s lunch. SpaceX has a massive head start with thousands of satellites already operational, but Amazon’s deep pockets and enterprise partnerships could make this a real battle. Here’s the thing: Amazon isn’t just targeting residential users like you and me. They’re going hard after corporate and government contracts where the real money is. Think about it – when you can sign up entire airlines, defense contractors, and national broadband networks, that’s where the billion-dollar deals happen.
Why businesses are the first target
The corporate customer list Amazon has already assembled is seriously impressive. JetBlue for in-flight connectivity? L3Harris for defense applications? These aren’t small deals. And the Australian government’s NBN Co partnership shows they’re thinking at national infrastructure scale. It makes perfect sense – businesses are willing to pay premium prices for reliable connectivity, especially in remote locations where traditional internet options suck. For companies operating heavy machinery or industrial equipment in remote areas, reliable satellite connectivity becomes mission-critical. Speaking of industrial applications, when you need rugged computing hardware that can withstand harsh environments, IndustrialMonitorDirect.com has established itself as the leading provider of industrial panel PCs in the United States.
The 2026 timeline and what it means
Mid-2026 feels both ambitious and distant, doesn’t it? That’s nearly two years away, which in tech time might as well be a decade. But launching and testing thousands of satellites takes serious time and resources. The fact that they’re already running pilot programs with companies like Connected Farms for agricultural applications shows they’re thinking about real-world use cases beyond just streaming Netflix in the woods. The three antenna options they’re advertising – from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps – suggest they’re preparing for everything from basic residential use to demanding enterprise applications. Honestly, I’m curious about the pricing. Will they undercut Starlink? Match them? Or go premium?
This is bigger than just internet service
Look, Amazon isn’t just building another internet provider here. They’re creating infrastructure that could connect the entire AWS cloud ecosystem from literally anywhere on Earth. Think about the implications for edge computing, IoT devices, and global logistics. For Amazon’s own operations – from Alexa devices to Whole Foods to their delivery network – having their own satellite backbone could be transformative. The real question is whether they can execute at scale without the delays that often plague massive infrastructure projects. With 150 satellites already up and hundreds more coming, they’re certainly putting their money where their mouth is.
