Amazon Rebrands Project Kuiper to 'Amazon Leo', Debuts Gigabit Satellite Antenna [Video]

Amazon has officially renamed its Project Kuiper satellite internet division to Amazon Leo, marking the start of its push toward commercial service. The company is also unveiling a new high-performance antenna called Leo Ultra, which is entering an enterprise preview that lets select partners begin testing the network ahead of a broader rollout next year.



Leo Ultra is aimed at businesses that need strong, reliable bandwidth in remote or hard-to-reach locations. It delivers download speeds up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds up to 400 Mbps, housed in a durable unit built to handle extreme temperatures, heavy precipitation, and strong winds. Inside is a custom chip developed by the Amazon Leo team that handles data flow and helps keep latency down.



With more than 150 satellites already in orbit, Amazon is positioning the service as a secure backbone for business and government customers. The system includes two private networking options: Direct to AWS (D2A), which connects customers straight into their cloud workloads, and Private Network Interconnect (PNI), which links remote sites directly to data centers without touching the public internet. Early testing partners include JetBlue, Vanu Inc., Hunt Energy Network, Connected Farms, and Crane Worldwide Logistics.



The move comes as satellite connectivity becomes more important across the tech industry. Apple has continued expanding its own satellite features for the iPhone, recently launching Emergency SOS via satellite in Mexico. Reports also suggest Apple is working on future capabilities such as satellite-powered Maps and photo messaging.


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