Amazon Leo says its satellite broadband service remains on course for 2026. The company missed its earlier mid-year target. However, it expects a commercial launch before year-end.
The update matters for telecom operators and connectivity providers. Low-Earth orbit broadband can reach places where fiber remains difficult. It can also support backup links for businesses and remote sites.
Amazon Leo has deployed 396 broadband satellites across 14 launches. Only four have been deorbited so far. The current fleet should support an initial service launch.
“We’re still doing work to raise them into final position, and…there’s a lot of work on the ground to do. But the plan is to launch initial service in 2026,” Chris Weber, VP of business and product at Amazon Leo, told Ars Technica.
Still, several key questions remain open. Amazon Leo has not announced pricing. It also has not detailed its sales strategy. That leaves operators and enterprise buyers waiting for clearer service models.
Amazon may connect the service with its wider device ecosystem. Weber suggested possible bundles with Prime Video, eero equipment, Ring devices, and Fire TV. That approach could help the service reach consumers faster.
Meanwhile, satellite production continues to accelerate. The company has now built more than 1,000 satellites. It produces them at a 172,000-square-foot facility in Kirkland, Washington.
The facility can build up to five satellites per day. Completed satellites move to Florida every two or three days. That rhythm gives Amazon Leo a larger stockpile for future missions.
Rajeev Badyal, an Amazon Leo vice president, highlighted the progress. “It took us six months to make our first 27 satellites. Now we can easily make 27 a week. That’s how far we’ve come,” he said.
Even so, the deployment remains in its early stage. Amazon Leo plans a first-generation constellation of 3,236 satellites. Its current orbital fleet represents only a small share of that target.
The FCC granted Amazon Leo a 24-month extension for part of that buildout. The company still plans full deployment by July 30, 2029. That schedule will require reliable launch capacity.
Amazon Leo says it has secured more than 100 launches. Partners include ULA, Arianespace, and Blue Origin. Larger rockets will become vital for faster deployment.
Those launches carry execution risks. Newer rockets must prove availability, reliability, and payload performance. Blue Origin’s New Glenn also faced a pre-launch test failure in May.
Beyond broadband, Amazon Leo is eyeing direct-to-device services. It filed plans for more than 5,000 additional satellites. Its pending Globalstar acquisition could support that mobile strategy.
