Amazon begins rollout of Leo high-speed Internet service

Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Online retailer Amazon has begun to roll out its Leo Internet service that offers gigabyte speed via its satellite network for businesses and other organizations.

Amazon's enterprise customers will be the first to use the Amazon Leo Internet service that includes a new "Ultra" antenna, and a wider rollout is planned for 2026, Amazon announced on Tuesday.

Amazon officials said Leo is designed to extend reliable, high-speed Internet to those beyond the reach of existing networks, including millions of businesses, government entities and organizations that are located in areas where Internet service is unreliable.

"Amazon Leo represents a massive opportunity for businesses operating in challenging environments," said Chris Webber, vice president of consumer and enterprise business for Amazon Leo.

Related

• Maersk to add SpaceX Starlink satellite system to at least 330 container ships
• White House announces cybersecurity plan to protect nation's public schools
• Generative AI suspected in phishing scams

"We've designed Amazon Leo to meet the needs of some of the most complex business and government customers out there," Webber added.

"We're excited to provide them with the tools they need to transform their operations, no matter where they are in the world."

The Amazon Leo Internet service uses an innovative network design, satellites and "high-performance phased-array antennas" to support download speeds of up to 1 gigabyte per second and upload speeds of up to 400 megabytes per second.

A new antenna dubbed Leo Ultra enables users to attain such downloading and uploading speeds, which exceed those of the competing Starlink Performance Kit, according to The Verge.

SpaceX officials said a new V3 satellite will support faster uploading and downloading speeds next year.

Amazon also has more than 150 satellites orbiting the Earth to provide digital communications that are undergoing initial network testing that involves a small group of enterprise customers.

Commercial airline JetBlue is among Amazon Leo's enterprise customers participating in the service's initial rollout.

"We knew Amazon Leo would share our passion for customer-first innovation," JetBlue President Marty St. George said.

"Choosing Amazon Leo reflects our commitment to staying ahead of what customers want most when traveling, such as fast, reliable performance and flexibility in our free in-flight Wi-Fi."

Amazon Leo also enables enterprise customers to connect directly to their cloud-based accounts and establish private network interconnects so that they can connect and communicate with remote locations using their respective data centers and core networks.