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Amazon plans to use these satellites to provide global coverage, including polar regions, and support more frequency bands. The company has already launched over 150 satellites since April and aims to start providing satellite internet through its service called Leo later this year.
According to Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology forAmazon Leo, while the performance of Amazon Leo Gen 1 is ‘impressive on its own,’ Gen 2 satellites are anticipated to offer more capacity, expanded coverage and additional throughput.
In a LinkedIn post, Badyal said, "More specs to come, but thanks to Chairman Brendan Carr and the rest of the Federal Communications Commission for approval and helping the US continue to lead the way in low Earth orbit."
The upgraded satellite constellation will have added capability for offering high-speed services such as satellite TV and 5G via the Ku-band and V-band.
The next set of satellites will operate at altitudes of up to 400 miles. The FCC has set deadlines for Amazon to launch 50% of the approved satellites by February 10, 2032, and the remaining half by February 10, 2035.
Meanwhile, Amazon has requested an extension from the FCC on the deadline to deploy 1,600 first-generation satellites, citing a shortage of rockets to lift the satellites into orbit and other delays beyond its control.
The company asked the agency to move the July 2026 cutoff to July 2028 or waive the requirement entirely. However, the FCC has not yet ruled on the request.
Amazon has invested $10 billion in its satellite Internet service and plans to spend an additional $1 billion on its Leo constellation this year. The company is poised to rival SpaceX's Starlink, which has over 9,000 satellites in orbit and about 9 million customers.
An Arianespace rocket is scheduled to launch 32 additional satellites this Thursday as part of the next Amazon Leo mission.
