Amazon's Satellite Internet Venture Debuts Gigabit-Speed Leo Ultra Antenna for Enterprise Preview
- MM24 News Desk
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
Amazon Leo has unveiled its new gigabit-speed Leo Ultra antenna delivering download speeds up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds up to 400 Mbps, while launching an enterprise preview program for Select customers. The low Earth orbit satellite internet service, formerly Project Kuiper, now has over 150 satellites in orbit and aims to begin broader commercial rollout next year.
In a major advancement for satellite internet technology, Amazon has introduced its highest-performance terminal yet for the company's emerging low Earth orbit satellite network. The newly revealed Amazon Leo Ultra antenna promises download speeds of up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds reaching 400 Mbps, making it the fastest commercial phased array antenna currently in production. This enterprise-grade hardware debut coincides with the launch of a private preview program that allows select business customers to begin testing the service ahead of a wider commercial rollout scheduled for next year.
The announcement marks a significant milestone for Amazon Leo (formerly known as Project Kuiper), which now has more than 150 satellites in orbit and has begun initial network testing. The service is specifically designed to extend reliable, high-speed internet to businesses, government entities, and organizations operating in locations without reliable traditional connectivity.
From remote energy operations to transportation and manufacturing facilities, the network aims to close critical connectivity gaps that have hampered digital transformation across multiple industries. Chris Weber, vice president of consumer and enterprise business for Amazon Leo, emphasized the strategic importance of this development for business customers.
"Amazon Leo represents a massive opportunity for businesses operating in challenging environments," Weber stated. "From our satellite and network design to our portfolio of high-performance phased array antennas, we've designed Amazon Leo to meet the needs of some of the most complex business and government customers out there, and we're excited to provide them with the tools they need to transform their operations, no matter where they are in the world."
The Leo Ultra terminal represents the pinnacle of Amazon's satellite communication technology, featuring a full-duplex phased array antenna that enables simultaneous upload and download capabilities. What sets this terminal apart isn't just its speed—it's the sophisticated engineering behind it.
The antenna is powered by a custom silicon chip specifically designed by Amazon Leo engineers, incorporating proprietary radio frequency design and signal processing algorithms that maximize throughput while minimizing latency. This technical sophistication makes the terminal particularly suitable for demanding applications like video conferencing, real-time monitoring, and cloud computing in remote locations.
Durability has been a key design consideration for the enterprise-focused terminal. The Leo Ultra features a weather-resistant construction engineered to withstand extreme temperatures, precipitation, and strong winds—essential characteristics for equipment that must operate reliably in challenging environments from desert oil fields to arctic research stations. The sleek, integrated design eliminates moving parts, enabling rapid installation and reducing maintenance requirements compared to traditional satellite equipment.
Security and network management capabilities have also received significant attention in the Amazon Leo service design. The system offers enterprise-grade features including advanced encryption across the network, comprehensive network management tools, and 24/7 priority customer support. Perhaps most importantly for business applications, the service provides two primary private networking solutions that maintain data security while ensuring high performance.
The Direct to AWS (D2A) solution allows Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers to connect directly to their cloud workloads using either an AWS Transit Gateway or AWS Direct Connect Gateway through a point-and-click interface on the Amazon Leo web console. This integration simplifies network management while reducing latency for cloud-dependent applications.
Alternatively, enterprises and telecommunications providers can establish Private Network Interconnects (PNI) at major colocation facilities, enabling direct connections from remote locations to their data centers or core networks in days rather than the weeks or months typically required for traditional private circuits.
Several major companies have already signed agreements to participate in the enterprise preview program, according to Amazon's announcement. JetBlue has emerged as an early adopter, with Marty St. George, president of JetBlue, explaining their decision: "Having collaborated with Amazon before, we knew Amazon Leo would share our passion for customer-first innovation. 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 inflight Wi-Fi."
Other participants in the preview program include Vanu Inc., Hunt Energy Network, Connected Farms, and Crane Worldwide Logistics—representing diverse industries that stand to benefit from reliable satellite connectivity. Hunter Hunt, CEO of Hunt Energy Holdings and Board Chairman of Skyward, highlighted the strategic value for energy operations.
"Hunt Energy Company operates a wide range of energy assets across the globe, and this requires exceptional connectivity to be able to operate, maintain, and deliver our products. The combination of Amazon Leo bandwidth capabilities and the secure private link is exactly what we needed."
The enterprise preview program serves dual purposes: it enables early customers to begin testing the network using production hardware and software while providing Amazon Leo teams with valuable feedback to tailor solutions for specific industries before broader rollout. Amazon is currently shipping units of both Leo Pro and Leo Ultra terminals to select companies as part of this program, with plans to expand participation as the network adds coverage and capacity throughout the coming year.
The transition from Project Kuiper to Amazon Leo represents more than just a name change—it signals the service's evolution from development project to commercial service. The simplified name, which the company describes as "a simple nod to the low Earth orbit satellite constellation that powers the network," also provides clearer brand alignment with Amazon's broader ecosystem of services and technologies.
As the satellite internet market continues to grow and evolve, Amazon Leo's entry with enterprise-grade hardware and services positions the company to compete directly in the business and government sectors where reliability, security, and performance are paramount. With the Leo Ultra terminal setting new speed benchmarks for commercial satellite antennas and the enterprise preview program now underway, Amazon has taken significant steps toward establishing itself as a major player in the rapidly expanding space-based internet market.