The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday approved Amazon.com Inc’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) request to deploy 4,500 additional low Earth orbit internet satellites, expanding the company’s planned network to roughly 7,700 satellites as it competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The authorization increases Amazon’s projected constellation and represents the company’s second generation of orbital systems. The newly approved satellites will operate at altitudes of up to approximately 400 miles and are expected to support additional frequency bands and broaden Leo’s geographic coverage, according to the FCC notice. Leo is Amazon’s renamed satellite internet service, formerly known as Project Kuiper.
The company has already launched more than 150 satellites since April 2025 using multiple rocket providers and plans to begin offering satellite internet later this year. The project was first announced in 2019. Regulators require Amazon to launch 50% of the approved satellites by February 10, 2032, with the remaining half due by February 10, 2035.
Amazon is also working against a separate FCC deadline to deploy 1,600 first generation satellites before July 2026. Last month, the company asked the agency to extend the cutoff to July 2028 or waive it entirely, citing factors beyond its control. The FCC has not yet ruled on that request. The company pointed to a near term shortage of rockets as a key reason it may struggle to meet the earlier deadline, stating that Leo is producing satellites considerably faster than others can launch them.
Amazon has invested 10 billion United States dollars to build its space based internet service and expects to spend another one billion United States dollars this year as deployment accelerates. Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky stated in the company’s latest quarterly report that Amazon has more than 20 launches planned for 2026 and more than 30 launches scheduled for 2027.
The next Leo mission is scheduled for Thursday, when an Arianespace rocket will carry another 32 satellites into orbit. Amazon has booked 17 additional missions with the French launch provider. The company has secured a total of 92 rocket launches from United Launch Alliance, ArianeGroup, and Blue Origin, which is also founded by Amazon executive chairman Jeff Bezos.
Leo is shaping up as a direct rival to SpaceX’s Starlink, which already has more than 9,000 satellites in orbit and roughly nine million customers, underscoring the escalating battle to dominate broadband from space. SpaceX has already launched more than 5,000 operational satellites serving more than two million customers globally.
The approval carries strict conditions. Amazon must launch and operate half of its satellites within six years to maintain its license. The FCC has historically enforced these milestones rigorously. The company only launched its first two prototype satellites in late 2023, years behind its original schedule.
The upgraded constellation will have added capability for offering high speed services such as satellite television and fifth generation wireless (5G) via the Ku band and V band. SpaceX’s Starlink network, the dominant player in the market for satellite broadband services, already makes use of those frequency bands. While the FCC approved Amazon’s use of most of the frequencies it requested, it deferred Amazon’s request to operate in certain ranges of the Ka band. The agency also dismissed challenges to Amazon’s requests from Iridium Communications Inc and Viasat Inc.
The approval comes as satellite internet services present opportunities for bridging connectivity gaps across Africa. According to a 2021 report, internet penetration in Africa stood at 43.1%, more than 20 percentage points below the global average of 66.2%. Satellite communications can extend connectivity to remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure proves difficult or expensive to deploy.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has repeatedly emphasized on earnings calls that Leo represents a long term strategic investment. The company believes the service will eventually generate significant returns by tapping into the vast global market of underserved and unserved internet users, as well as enterprise and government customers seeking resilient, low latency broadband connectivity.
The company is ramping up satellite production capabilities at its facility in Kirkland, Washington, where it has invested heavily in automated manufacturing lines designed to produce satellites at a pace and cost structure that can support a constellation of this magnitude. Shares of Amazon edged slightly lower on Wednesday as investors digested the news.
