Amazon has announced Leo Ultra, its first antenna for the satellite internet service Project Kuiper which was renamed to Leo a week ago, entering a private preview phase before a commercial launch next year. Designed for business and government customers, Leo Ultra differs from the smaller Pro and Nano antenna options. The antenna measures 20 by 30 inches, with no pricing or availability details released yet.
Amazon states Leo Ultra is the fastest customer terminal in production, delivering up to 1 Gbps downloads and 400 Mbps uploads at the same time. It includes private networking services and direct connections to Amazon Web Services and other cloud networks. The 11-inch Pro antenna supports up to 400 Mbps downloads, while the 7-inch-square Nano handles up to 100 Mbps.
Compared to competitors, Starlink’s Performance Kit offers up to 400 Mbps downloads, about half of Amazon’s top speed. SpaceX plans for its V3 satellite to provide 1 Tbps total download bandwidth, with gigabit speeds expected for Starlink customers next year.
Amazon’s private networking features may offer security benefits over older satellite networks. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Maryland identified vulnerabilities in unencrypted geostationary orbit satellite links. These expose VoIP calls, SMS messages, login credentials, corporate emails, and other data transmitted without encryption.
