Amazon says it has deployed enough satellites for its planned satellite internet service, Amazon Leo, to begin offering connectivity later this year. Multiple outlets cite a report that follows an additional launch on July 2, when a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket delivers 29 satellites into low-Earth orbit, bringing the Leo constellation to more than 390 satellites and specifically 396 deployed satellites. Amazon executives, including Chris Weber, vice president heading business and product for Amazon Leo, describe the current configuration as sufficient “to support continuous service across initial latitudes” for an initial rollout. Sources also note that Amazon’s Leo network remains much smaller than SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, which has more than 10,000 satellites in operation. While reporting focuses on Amazon reaching a readiness threshold for early service, some coverage indicates early performance could be uneven as the network expands toward a much larger planned total of thousands of satellites (reported as 3,232 in one account). The reporting frames the move as Amazon’s next step in competing with Starlink’s established service.
Amazon says its Leo satellite network has enough satellites to start limited internet service
Amazon says it has deployed enough satellites for its planned satellite internet service, Amazon Leo, to begin offering connectivity later this year. Multiple outlets cite a report that follows an add...
- Amazon says its Amazon Leo low-Earth-orbit satellite network has enough satellites to begin limited consumer internet service later in 2024.
- A United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch on July 2 delivers 29 additional satellites, bringing Leo to more than 390—396 deployed satellites in one report.
- Amazon’s VP Chris Weber says the constellation can support “continuous service across initial latitudes” for initial service.
- Multiple sources stress Leo is still far smaller than SpaceX’s Starlink, which has over 10,000 satellites in orbit.
- Amazon continues planning a much larger Leo constellation, reported as 3,232 satellites in at least one outlet.
But the satellite internet company has a long way to go to catch up to established rival Starlink.
1 month agoOnline emporium's Starlink rival says it will start service later this year as another 29 birds reach orbit
1 month agoAmazon has deployed enough satellites to begin offering its Leo internet service this year, marking its most significant step yet in the race to take on SpaceX's Starlink.
1 month agoAmazon has finally reached the starting line in the satellite-internet race. It says it now has enough spacecraft in orbit to switch on its Leo broadband network later this year. The target is clear: Elon Musk’s Starlink. An overnight launch on 2 July tipped the balance. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carried 29 […] This story continues at The Next Web
1 month agoAmazon Leo now has more than 390 satellites in orbit, though it is still a tiny fraction of SpaceX’s 10,000-strong Starlink constellation
1 month agoAmazon says its Leo satellite network now has enough spacecraft in orbit to begin limited commercial internet service, with 396 satellites providing "continuous service across initial latitudes." Early performance will likely be uneven, however, and well behind Starlink. "It'll be years before Amazon can boast similar performance numbers as it continues to launch a planned 3,232 Leo satellites," reports The Verge. From the report: SpaceX went live with its "Better than nothing beta" back in 2020 when it had almost 900 satellites operating in low-Earth orbit. It initially served a narrow band of users in the upper US and Canada, who complained about frequent service interruptions and high sensitivity to obstructions, with speeds between 50Mbps and 150Mbps, and latency from 20ms to 40ms. By 2022, the service and coverage areas had already dramatically improved. [...] SpaceX currently has over 10,000 Starlink satellites in operation, providing robust internet connectivity on land, sea, and air in over 160 countries. Performance varies by the dish, service level paid for, time of day, and location of the user, but we're now talking 200Mbps median download speeds, 10Mbps to 40Mbps uploads, and latency hovering around 25ms. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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