[REVISION HISTORY]

Leo & Starlink global expansion continues

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-28 10:42 UTC → 2026-07-29 22:36 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Amazon’s Leo constellation reached 398 satellites after a ULA Atlas V launch on 6 July 2026, the rocket’s final flight in its five‑booster configuration and the ninth Amazon mission. Subsequent deployments will shift to ULA’s Vulcan and other launchers as Amazon pursues a 3,232‑satellite fleet for worldwide coverage. In Africa, Leo signed a commercial distribution agreement with South‑African fixed‑line provider Herotel. Herotel will act as the local licensee and launch the residential service “evry” in 2027, giving Amazon regulatory clearance to serve rural and underserved communities and opening the path for broader regional roll‑outs. The deal was announced in the presence of South Africa’s Communications Minister, underscoring government support. Starlink’s network keeps growing. In Alaska the Utqiagvik rollout now delivers symmetric 10 Gbps speeds. Copa Airlines introduced Starlink Wi‑Fi in July 2026, and Chile’s Entel‑Starlink serves over one million remote users. Indigo Partners is equipping more than 1,000 low‑cost aircraft with Starlink from 2027; Frontier Airlines will become the first U.S. carrier to offer the service in early 2027, and Cebu Pacific will bring it to Southeast Asia the same year, enabling passenger streaming, gaming and crew communications. Amazon has filed an FCC application to launch up to 5,105 additional Leo satellites that would provide direct‑to‑device voice, messaging, data and emergency services. The ~~proposal, slated for deployment beginning in 2028, would use~~ request, pending approval, relies on spectrum acquired from Globalstar in a deal valued at roughly $11 billion and ~~integrates with~~ will employ L‑band and S‑band frequencies to reach unmodified smartphones, targeting remote industrial sites, logistics fleets and consumers without cellular coverage. Deployment is slated to begin in 2028, building on the existing ~390‑satellite fleet. Partnerships with mobile operators—including Vodafone, DirecTV, Herotel and Australia’s NBN—plus a cooperation agreement with Apple, aim to extend mobile connectivity to remote and disaster‑affected regions worldwide. ~~Both constellations are extending satellite‑broadband access across continents, sectors and market segments.~~

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