Amazon is gearing up to offer its low Earth orbit satellite broadband service to customers and has rebranded for better commercial appeal. It will no longer be known as Project Kuiper, but as Leo, referencing the orbital plane in which the satellites will operate. However, it’s also adjusted the brand mission in some of its documentation, conspicuously dropping the “affordability” part of its mission statement, TechCrunch reports.
The explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet caught many people by surprise. What appeared to be another satellite internet company idea in the early 2020s has grown into SpaceX’s largest revenue generator with over eight million global customers. It’s pioneered high-speed internet just about anywhere in the world and helped drive communications systems for Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion.
Where there’s money, there’s competition, though, so a range of alternatives has sprung up in the past couple of years. China has its Guowang system, and Russia is developing its own to launch in 2027. But one of the most likely to compete directly with Starlink is Amazon’s Leo, which appears to be gearing up for real customers.
Alongside the rebrand, it’s adjusted some of the wording on its website. It used to focus on providing internet to those who couldn’t otherwise access it, with a “mission to bring fast, affordable broadband” to communities that aren’t well served by telecom companies and other service providers.
In the newly updated FAQ, although it still discusses increasing internet access, it’s no longer explicitly designed to be affordable:
“Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite network, designed to provide fast, reliable internet to customers and communities beyond the reach of existing networks,” it reads.
The new commercial site also talks up making video calls, streaming 4K videos, and handling entire homes’ internet—the kind of things you do if you’re already well connected, not just getting online for the first time.
The only problem with all this is satellite availability. At the last count, Starlink had over 8,600 active satellites in orbit, letting it deliver comprehensive coverage almost anywhere in the world and with very little downtime. As of mid-October, Leo had just 150, though Amazon plans to expand this to over 3,000 in the future. The success of its New Glenn rocket will help tremendously.