en.Wedoany.com Reported - Amazon's satellite broadband project, Amazon Leo, has received approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch the first half of its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation.
In January, Amazon Leo requested a 24-month extension from the FCC for deploying its constellation (ultimately comprising 3,236 LEO satellites), citing launch delays, adverse weather, technical issues, and government launch priorities. The company sought to postpone its interim deployment milestone to July 30, 2028, while maintaining the 100% deployment milestone of July 30, 2029. On June 5, the FCC issued an order approving the extension request with minor conditions.
When filing its request with the FCC, Amazon stated it had launched 180 satellites and planned to deploy approximately 700 by the end of July 2026. Amazon Leo is approaching its planned mid-2026 service launch but has not yet announced specific pricing or packages. The company now reports having launched over 300 satellites. Late last month, Amazon Leo's deployment plans faced a setback when Blue Origin's heavy-lift New Glenn rocket exploded during pre-launch testing; the rocket was slated to carry 48 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit. Amazon Leo plans to double its annual launch rate and emphasized that New Glenn rockets account for less than 25% of the over 100 launches secured for Amazon Leo, with the company continuing to work closely with other launch partners, including United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Arianespace.
An additional 29 Amazon Leo satellites were launched on May 29 aboard a ULA Atlas V rocket, and 36 are scheduled for launch on June 17 aboard an Arianespace 6 rocket with upgraded boosters. ULA announced on Friday that it is preparing for further Amazon Leo satellite launches in July.
In its order last week, the FCC stated that Amazon Leo had demonstrated sufficient justification for a limited waiver, enabling the company to fully build out its platform to provide connectivity to more unserved and underserved areas and to increase competition in an industry currently dominated by Starlink. The FCC explained that the order "serves the public interest by advancing the construction of a second large satellite broadband constellation." Under the waiver terms, the FCC said it would not limit Amazon Leo's authorization to deploy the remaining Gen1 system satellites to the number launched and operational by the original July 30, 2026, interim milestone. If Amazon Leo fails to meet the 100% deployment milestone by July 30, 2029, the FCC will cap the number of authorized satellites at the total operational as of that date. In an emailed statement, an Amazon spokesperson expressed gratitude for the FCC's continued support of Amazon Leo and U.S. space leadership, adding that the company is excited to begin rolling out services in the coming months and to bring more innovation, investment, and competition to the industry.
SpaceX opposed Amazon Leo's request, partly arguing that the emerging competitor was seeking "special treatment" and that the updated plan could interfere with other satellite systems, including Starlink. The FCC stated that its order addressed SpaceX's objections and disagreed with SpaceX's interference claims. Although SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, did not attempt to block Amazon Leo's plans—even as it moves toward a massive IPO—any delay undoubtedly strengthens Starlink's advantage in the broadband satellite market. Starlink announced last week that it has over 12 million active customers across more than 160 countries and regions. This revised figure came shortly after SpaceX's S-1 filing showed Starlink had approximately 10.3 million paid subscribers at the end of the first quarter of 2026.
The FCC has opened a pleading cycle regarding Amazon's proposed $11.5 billion acquisition of Globalstar. Amazon intends to use this deal to expand into the direct-to-device (D2D) space while gaining a key customer in Apple (Globalstar operates dozens of satellites for Apple's D2D partner). This deal is taking shape as SpaceX plans to develop a next-generation D2D platform supported by spectrum it acquired from EchoStar. The FCC stated that petitions opposing the deal must be filed by July 6, with opposition comments due by July 21, and replies also due by July 21.
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