It looks like Amazon’s Starlink rival, Leo, is preparing to open its satellite internet system to third-party antennas.
We already knew Amazon was preparing three Leo dish models. But in a new regulatory filing, the company talks about developing an “Amazon Leo modem module,” meant to address the needs of enterprise and government customers.
The modem is “a compact, high-performance unit that embeds Amazon Leo’s network intelligence into antennas built by trusted government and third-party vendors,” the company told the Federal Communications Commission on Friday.
“The ALMM will allow government and enterprise customers to use their own antenna hardware to integrate Amazon Leo’s non-geostationary satellite orbit (‘NGSO’) connectivity into existing systems without compromising performance,” the filing adds.
(Credit: FCC/Amazon)
The module, which can deliver speeds up to 1Gbps, promises to increase “customers’ flexibility in manufacturing and design options.” Amazon notes that traditional satellite dishes integrate the “modem and control functions” together, which can limit the design and “upgrade path.”
“By decoupling the modem from the antenna, the ALMM allows for faster innovation cycles, easier adaptation to specialized mission requirements, and greater resilience to component obsolescence,” the company added. “The modular design also enables different government agencies or third-party vendors to develop and certify their own antenna systems that are tailored for size, gain, or environmental hardening, while maintaining compatibility with the Amazon Leo network through the ALMM interface.”
The e-commerce giant is requesting the FCC grant “blanket-licensed” approval to operate the modem module in fixed positions and while in motion, including road vehicles, planes and ships. But the device will only be sold to government and enterprise customers, not consumers.
The three existing dish models for Leo. The Nano will offer speeds up to 100Mbps, the Pro model is meant for speeds up to 400Mbps, and the Ultra is promising up to 1Gbps. (Credit: Amazon Leo)
Starlink now has over 10 million active customers worldwide and is seeing growing adoption in commercial planes and naval ships. In addition, Elon Musk’s company has established a network of resellers and dealers to help push Starlink to various industries.
The modem module approach might serve as a counter to help Amazon build up its own third-party ecosystem around Leo. The filing notes the modem module is expected to “open participation to a wider range of antenna partners, reducing costs, accelerating deployment, and enabling government agencies and enterprise customers to build on existing research and manufacturing investments.”
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In the meantime, Amazon has some serious catching up to do. The satellite internet system currently remains in private beta to select enterprise customers because Amazon only has about 210 satellites in orbit. However, the company plans on expanding Leo’s availability sometime later this year as more satellites go up.
Amazon recently told the FCC it’s already spent billions to secure more rocket capacity for future Leo launches. But the company expects to only have around 700 satellites in orbit by late July. That’s not enough to meet an FCC deadline for the satellite constellation, so Amazon has asked for an extension.
To lure enterprise customers, Amazon has also been touting speeds up to 1Gbps through the Leo Ultra dish. That said, SpaceX plans on offering gigabit speeds later this year too.
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About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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