Amazon’s Amazon Leo satellite network delivered download speeds above 400 Mbps during a demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, the company said. The test was hosted by the US Army’s C5ISR Center, which develops communications and intelligence systems for soldiers.
For the demo, a laptop was connected to Leo Pro, the network’s main customer terminal. It’s a phased array antenna: a flat panel that steers its beam toward satellites electronically, with no moving parts. The laptop sent and received data as low Earth orbit satellites passed over the range. Speeds peaked when satellites from newer batches flew overhead. Amazon Leo satellites talk to each other over laser links and connect to terrestrial networks through ground gateway stations.
The Army sees commercial low Earth orbit networks as a way to bring fast connectivity to remote areas where ground infrastructure is missing or limited. More than 30 Army representatives watched the demo. Liz Martin, who heads government business at Amazon Leo, called it an important step toward a broader partnership with the military. Amazon hopes to tailor the network to Army needs and compete with SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield, its defense-focused version.
Amazon Leo plans further tests with the Army. They will cover higher data rates and connectivity on the move. The Army will also check how the satellite service works alongside the tactical networks troops already use.
The constellation is still only partly in place. Since April 2025, rockets have put 396 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit across 14 launches. The first phase of the network calls for more than 3,200 spacecraft.
Far more satellites are already built. Amazon has produced more than 1,000 at its factory in Kirkland, Washington. To get them into orbit, the company has signed contracts for more than 100 launches with United Launch Alliance, Arianespace, Blue Origin and SpaceX.
Amazon keeps adding to that list. In September, it ordered six more launches on Ariane 6 rockets.
Commercial Amazon Leo service is set to launch in select regions by the end of 2026. Amazon originally targeted mid-year but later pushed the launch back. For now, a small group of enterprise customers is testing the network through a closed preview program.
Source: https://mediasat.info/en/2026/10/14/amazon-leo-tops-400-mbps-in-us-army-satellite-internet-test/
