Amazon Delays Leo Internet Launch as Only 299 of 396 Satellites Reach Operating Orbit
Updated
Updated · PCMag UK · Sep 4
Amazon Delays Leo Internet Launch as Only 299 of 396 Satellites Reach Operating Orbit
3 articles · Updated · PCMag UK · Sep 4
Summary
Amazon’s Leo service has slipped past its mid-2026 target, with the company saying it is waiting for enough satellites to reach assigned operating orbits before opening service.
Only 299 of 396 deployed satellites are in operational orbit, while 78 are still moving into position and 14 remain near those orbits, according to tracking by astronomer Jonathan McDowell.
McDowell estimates most functioning satellites should reach operational altitude by November, though some may take longer; Amazon has not said when service or the next launch will begin.
The current constellation remains far smaller than Starlink’s roughly 10,000 satellites, leading analyst Carlos Placido to expect Leo to launch first in limited areas or latitudes.
Amazon is still running a closed beta with employees and select enterprise customers; its first-generation network is planned to reach 3,232 satellites, with a second-generation expansion in development.
As hundreds of satellites slowly climb to orbit, will Amazon's promised advanced tech be enough to challenge a 13-million-user monopoly?
Could Amazon’s delayed regional satellite rollout actually be a stealthy masterstroke to dominate enterprise cloud networks rather than consumer internet?