Amazon Leo — the satellite internet service rebranded from Project Kuiper in November 2025 — finally has the makings of a real launch. 331 production satellites are in orbit, a public waitlist is live, and beta service is targeted for late 2026 or early 2027. Here's where things actually stand and what to watch for next.
April 2025 — First production-satellite batch launched on a ULA Atlas V rocket. Kuiper goes from concept to live constellation.
November 12, 2025 — Amazon rebrands Project Kuiper as Amazon Leo. Public waitlist opens.
November 2025 — Enterprise preview begins with select business customers testing private networking and Leo Pro terminals.
May 2026 — 331 production satellites confirmed in orbit. Three terminal names announced: Leo Nano, Leo Pro, Leo Ultra.
Late 2026 / early 2027 (planned) — Residential beta service begins in the US, UK, France, Germany, and Canada. Northern latitudes first.
2028 (planned) — Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite-to-cellphone service begins.
Amazon has signaled a $50 to $100 per month target for residential service in internal planning documents and executive interviews. No official rate card yet. Starlink's Standard plan is $120/mo for comparison.
US, UK, France, Germany, Canada — the same five markets the original Kuiper announcement listed, with the same rollout approach: northern latitudes first because the constellation passes overhead more frequently there.
Several outlets have conflated Amazon Leo with Amazon's $25/mo unlimited mobile plan. They are two separate products:
If you read a headline that says "Amazon launches 5G home internet," it's either reporting on Leo incorrectly or talking about the Boost mobile partnership. There is no third Amazon home connectivity product as of 2026.
If you have working internet at your address today, nothing changes for you yet. Beta service is at least 6 months out, and broader rollout 12 to 18 months. If you're rural with no fiber, no cable, weak 5G, you currently have two real options: Starlink (commercial now) or wait for Amazon Leo (beta late 2026, broader 2027).
The honest move for most rural buyers in 2026 is to order Starlink and join the Leo waitlist as a hedge. When Leo opens commercially with confirmed pricing, you'll have the data to compare against your actual Starlink experience. Switching satellite services is annoying but not impossible.
The bigger market story is what Leo does to Starlink's pricing. SpaceX has had no real LEO competitor since service launched in 2021. Once Amazon enters with Prime-bundle leverage and lower stated targets, every satellite plan in the US comes under price pressure — including Starlink Standard's $120/mo.
Amazon's official Leo waitlist is at leo.amazon.com. Sign-up is free, requires an email, and doesn't commit you to a purchase. Early sign-ups will reportedly get beta priority. There's no fee and no service date guarantee — just a place in line.