Amazon launches Starlink rival capable of up to 1 Gbps satellite internet

Amazon launched Leo Ultra this week as the first antenna for its satellite internet service, aimed squarely at business and government customers. The hardware is launching in a private preview ahead of a commercial rollout sometime next year. While no pricing or availability details have been announced, this update gives us our first good look at the 20-by-30-inch design and specs of the new antenna.

Amazon claims Leo Ultra is “the fastest customer terminal in production” because it offers up to 1Gbps downloads and 400 Mbps uploads simultaneously. These speeds significantly outperform the smaller 11-inch Pro antenna that supports up to 400 Mbps down and the 7-inch-square Nano that will be able to handle up to 100 Mbps.

For comparison, the Starlink Performance Kit currently supports up to 400 Mbps downloads, which is around half of the maximum Amazon is advertising for this new unit. SpaceX has promised its V3 satellite will be capable of 1Tbps total download bandwidth with gigabit speeds coming to Starlink customers next year. However, the private networking services on Amazon Leo could be another major advantage over older satellite internet networks currently in use.

You can utilize direct connections to AWS and other cloud networks to bypass the public internet. This approach helps mitigate risks after researchers at UC San Diego and the University of Maryland recently reported spotting serious security vulnerabilities with unencrypted GEO satellite links.