Amazon introduces antenna for in-flight satellite internet

Fast internet is set to be enjoyed by passengers on some US airlines in the future. The necessary hardware has been presented by the US internet giant Amazon. The Amazon Leo Aviation Antenna is intended to provide access to Amazon's Leo satellite constellation from the aircraft, with transmission rates of up to 1 Gigabit per second (Gbit/s) for downloads and 400 Megabits per second (Mbit/s) for uploads.

A single antenna is sufficient to provide enough bandwidth for first-class connectivity for passengers in all classes, as well as for the operation of the aircraft, Amazon announced.

Suitable for various aircraft types

The antenna is mounted on the outside of the fuselage. It is 1.47 meters long, 76 centimeters wide, and 6.6 centimeters high. Its flat design ensures minimal air resistance, thus consuming only a small amount of additional fuel. It is suitable for large passenger jets as well as regional aircraft. Installation is expected to take only one day, significantly faster than the antenna from competitor Starlink.

Leo is Amazon's satellite internet service and the competitor to Starlink from the US space company SpaceX. However, the Leo constellation currently consists of only around 240 satellites. Amazon had planned to launch 1618 Leo satellites into orbit by the summer. In total, the constellation is intended to comprise 3236 satellites. For comparison, Starlink has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit.

US airlines Jetblue and Delta Air Lines have already signed contracts with Amazon for the use of Leo on board aircraft. Delta plans to use Leo in 500 of its aircraft. Amazon recently announced the launch of Leo for mid-this year.

(wpl)