Amazon Leo Launch Date, Price and Speeds: Is Service Starting in 2026?

Amazon Leo isn't on sale yet but initial service is due in 2026. Next launches Nov 13 and 23, terminal speeds, pricing status and Starlink comparison.

Sanchana Charles9 November 202610 min read0 viewsAmazon Leo
Amazon Leo Launch Date, Price and Speeds: Is Service Starting in 2026?

Amazon Leo, Amazon's satellite internet service, is not yet available to buy as of November 9, 2026. Amazon still says it is "on track to begin initial service" before the end of 2026. Consumer pricing hasn't been announced, and the only way to sign up for now is the waitlist at leo.amazon.com.

The next few weeks matter. Amazon has scheduled its first Leo launch on ULA's Vulcan rocket for November 13, followed by an Ariane 6 launch no earlier than November 23. Here's what Amazon has confirmed about launch timing, speeds, terminals and price, what is still unknown, and how Leo compares with Starlink.

When will Amazon Leo be available?

Amazon's official line is in its Q3 2026 earnings release from October 29. It says the company "remains on track to begin initial service of its Amazon Leo low Earth orbit satellite service later this year." Amazon hasn't named a launch date, the first countries or a consumer sign-up window.

Here is what is actually running today, according to Amazon:

  • Enterprise preview: Amazon is shipping Leo Pro and Leo Ultra terminals to "select companies." It has signed agreements with JetBlue, Vanu Inc., Hunt Energy Network, Connected Farms and Crane Worldwide Logistics.
  • Private testing: In its announcement of a deal in Uzbekistan, Amazon says Leo is "testing service in a private preview with employees and select enterprise customers." It expects to begin "rolling out initial service in certain locations later this year."
  • Consumer service: Not yet. The leo.amazon.com site has a "Join the list" button. A footnote says the devices have not been authorized by the FCC and "are not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease" until they are.

So "initial service" in 2026 will most likely mean limited service in certain locations, not a nationwide consumer launch. That's our reading of Amazon's wording, not something Amazon has said.

How many Amazon Leo satellites are in orbit?

Amazon says it has launched "nearly 400 satellites to date across 14 missions." Adding up the per-mission numbers on Amazon's mission tracker gives 396 production satellites. The FCC authorized Amazon in 2020 to deploy up to 3,236 satellites.

Amazon Leo launch timeline

Date Mission Rocket Satellites
Apr 28, 2025 KA-01 (first full mission) Atlas V 27
Jun 23, 2025 KA-02 Atlas V 27
Jul 16, 2025 KF-01 Falcon 9 24
Aug 11, 2025 KF-02 Falcon 9 24
Sep 25, 2025 KA-03 Atlas V 27
Oct 13, 2025 KF-03 Falcon 9 24
Dec 16, 2025 LA-04 Atlas V 27
Feb 12, 2026 LE-01 Ariane 64 32
Apr 4, 2026 LA-05 Atlas V 29
Apr 27, 2026 LA-06 Atlas V 29
Apr 30, 2026 LE-02 Ariane 64 32
May 29, 2026 LA-07 Atlas V 29
Jun 17, 2026 LE-03 Ariane 64 36
Jul 2, 2026 LA-08 Atlas V 29
Nov 13, 2026 (target) LV-01 Vulcan VC6L 40
No earlier than Nov 23, 2026 LE-04 Ariane 64 36

Source: Amazon's Leo mission updates page. Dates are US Eastern Time unless Amazon listed them otherwise.

Amazon says the November 13 Vulcan launch from Cape Canaveral's SLC-41 is "pending range approval." It's the first of 38 Leo missions contracted on Vulcan. If both November launches succeed, they'll add 76 satellites. That would bring the total to about 472, by our count from Amazon's figures.

Note the gap in the table: Amazon's tracker shows no Leo launch between July 2 and the November targets. Amazon hasn't explained the pause on that page. Back in March, it said its Kirkland, Washington factory can build up to 30 satellites a week and that weekly targets were "adjusted to match launch vehicle availability."

What about the FCC deadline?

Amazon's original FCC license required about half of the constellation to be in orbit by July 30, 2026. Wikipedia's Amazon Leo entry, citing Ars Technica, reports that the FCC waived that July 2026 deadline in early June 2026. The FCC instead temporarily lowered the spectrum priority of satellites launched after the milestone until Amazon builds out faster. The final deadline for the full constellation is July 30, 2029, according to the same entry.

How fast is Amazon Leo? Terminals explained

Amazon has shown three customer terminals:

Terminal Size Advertised speed Aimed at
Leo Nano 7 in square, 2.2 lb Up to 100 Mbps Residential and mobility
Leo Pro 11 in square, 5.3 lb Up to 400 Mbps Homes and businesses
Leo Ultra 20 x 30 in Up to 1 Gbps down / 400 Mbps up Enterprise and government

The Ultra speeds are from Amazon. Nano and Pro sizes and speeds, and the Ultra's size, are as listed on Wikipedia, which cites leo.amazon.com.

These are "up to" maximums. The Leo site says its speed figures come from "limited preliminary testing and are not guaranteed."

How much will Amazon Leo cost?

Amazon hasn't announced any price for Leo service plans or terminals. Some comparison sites publish monthly price "estimates," but none of those figures come from Amazon, so we aren't repeating them. When Amazon publishes prices, they'll be on leo.amazon.com and in Amazon's newsroom, and we'll update this article.

For business customers, AT&T said in September 2026 that it will be the first major US telecom provider to offer Leo connectivity, bundled with its fiber and 5G. TelecomTV reports that pricing and availability details will be "announced later" and that the rollout will be a "structured, phased deployment."

We haven't used either service. This comparison only covers what's on the public record:

Amazon Leo Starlink
Can consumers buy it today? No, waitlist only Yes, in many countries
Satellites launched About 396 (Amazon) Far more (SpaceX's constellation is the largest in orbit)
Consumer price Not announced Published on starlink.com
Top advertised terminal speed Up to 1 Gbps (Ultra, enterprise) Varies by plan
Distribution partners AT&T (US enterprise), Uztelecom/UZ-SAT (Uzbekistan), Herotel (South Africa) Direct sales plus partners
Airline deals JetBlue, Delta (from 2028) Several airlines
Phone (direct-to-device) plans Via the planned Globalstar acquisition, deployment from 2028 Already offered with partner carriers

Amazon describes Leo as the third-largest constellation in orbit.

Partnerships so far

  • Delta Air Lines: Amazon says Leo will power Delta's in-flight Wi-Fi starting in 2028.
  • Uzbekistan: Uztelecom's subsidiary UZ-SAT will be an authorized Leo distributor.
  • South Africa: ISP Herotel plans a residential service called "evry," with commercial availability expected in 2027, according to Wikipedia's entry citing Reuters and AP.
  • Globalstar: Amazon agreed in April 2026 to buy Globalstar for $90 a share, about $11.57 billion, according to CNBC. The deal is expected to close in 2027. CNBC reports that Amazon will use it to build its own direct-to-device satellite system, with deployment from 2028, and to provide satellite connectivity for iPhone and Apple Watch features.

How to sign up for Amazon Leo

  1. Go to leo.amazon.com.
  2. Select "Join the list" and enter your details. This is a waitlist, not an order, and there's no price or deposit shown.
  3. Businesses can ask about the enterprise program through Amazon Leo. US enterprise and public-sector customers can also go through their AT&T Business account representative.
  4. Be careful with anyone selling "Amazon Leo dishes" or plans today. Amazon says the devices aren't authorized for sale yet.

Upcoming dates to watch

When What Why it matters
Nov 13, 2026 (target) LV-01, first Vulcan launch for Leo (40 satellites) Opens a new high-capacity launch vehicle for Leo
No earlier than Nov 23, 2026 LE-04 on Ariane 64 (36 satellites) Would bring Arianespace's Leo total to 136
By Dec 31, 2026 Promised start of "initial service" Amazon's public commitment in its Q3 results
Q1 2027 Amazon expects to begin capitalizing some Leo production and launch costs Reported from the Q3 earnings call; a sign of when Amazon sees Leo as an operating service
2027 Globalstar deal expected to close; Herotel's South Africa service Expansion of D2D and partner markets
2028 Delta in-flight Wi-Fi; Globalstar-based D2D deployment Long-term consumer touchpoints

The Q1 2027 capitalization point comes from earnings-call coverage in search results. We didn't open the transcript directly.

What are people asking about Amazon Leo?

We didn't find community posts we could reliably quote for this update, so we aren't quoting anyone. Google's search suggestions show what people want to know: "amazon leo pricing," "amazon leo vs starlink," "amazon leo release date" and "amazon leo cost." Amazon hasn't answered any of those yet. For investors, Leo costs remain a theme in Amazon's results; see our Q3 2026 earnings breakdown. This is not investment advice.

Editor's take

Leo is now much more than a set of renders: almost 400 satellites, enterprise terminals in customers' hands, and carrier and airline deals signed. Two important things are still missing, though: a price and a public launch. The November 13 Vulcan flight and the November 23 Ariane flight are the next real tests. If both go ahead, Amazon will be better placed to meet its "initial service later this year" promise, most likely starting with business customers and limited locations. If you live in a rural area and need internet now, Leo isn't an option yet. Joining the waitlist costs nothing, but don't plan around a date Amazon hasn't given.

FAQ

When does Amazon Leo launch for customers?

Amazon says initial service will begin "later this year" (2026). It hasn't given a date or named the first countries. Consumer sign-up is a waitlist at leo.amazon.com.

How much will Amazon Leo cost per month?

Amazon hasn't announced pricing for service or terminals. Any monthly price you see elsewhere is a third-party estimate.

Is Amazon Leo available now?

Only in a private preview for Amazon employees and select enterprise customers, according to Amazon.

How fast is Amazon Leo internet?

Amazon advertises up to 1 Gbps download and 400 Mbps upload on the Leo Ultra enterprise terminal. The smaller Pro and Nano terminals are listed at up to 400 Mbps and 100 Mbps. These are maximums from preliminary testing.

How many satellites does Amazon Leo have?

Nearly 400 (396 by our count of Amazon's mission list) as of early November 2026, out of up to 3,236 authorized by the FCC.

When is the next Amazon Leo launch?

LV-01 on a ULA Vulcan is targeted for November 13, 2026, with 40 satellites. LE-04 on Ariane 64 is set for no earlier than November 23 with 36 satellites.

Is Amazon Leo the same as Project Kuiper?

Yes. Project Kuiper was renamed Amazon Leo. The first 153 production satellites launched under the Kuiper name.

It's too early to say. Leo has no public consumer pricing or performance data yet, while Starlink already sells service in many countries.

Related on 9to5Amazon: shopping for a new e-reader instead? See our new Kindle 2026 lineup guide. Leo's enterprise focus also connects to AWS networking; see AWS Interconnect last mile explained.

Sources

Featured image: the Amazon Leo payload fairing for the LV-01 mission on ULA's Vulcan rocket, official Amazon press image. Source

#Vulcan#Amazon Leo#Satellite internet#Project Kuiper#Starlink
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