Amazon Leo has unveiled the Amazon Leo Aviation Antenna, an electronically steered antenna (ESA) designed to provide inflight internet connectivity at speeds of up to 1 Gbps download and 400 Mbps upload simultaneously. Delta and JetBlue have agreements in place to use the service, according to Amazon Leo, and there is an agreement in place with Airbus to integrate the LEO IFC solution into Airbus’ line-fit and retrofit aircraft catalogue of managed service providers.
The antenna measures 147 cm long, 76 cm wide and 6.6 cm high (58 by 30 by 2.6 inches) and has no moving parts, which Amazon Leo says reduces maintenance downtime. The company also says that the integrated modem and streamlined mounting system allow for single-day installation on the exterior airframe.
A single antenna is designed to serve an entire aircraft, covering passenger entertainment, crew operations and collaboration applications across seat classes and aircraft types ranging from wide-body jets to regional aircraft.
The antenna uses full-duplex phased-array technology and connects to Amazon Leo’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network, handing off between satellites as the aircraft moves. For routes over oceans, polar regions and other areas distant from ground gateways, the network uses inter-satellite laser links to relay data to the nearest available gateway. Amazon Leo says it is building more than 300 ground gateways globally to reduce latency and improve resilience.
“We expect our service to be so fast and reliable that passengers will seek out flights featuring Leo connectivity,” said Trevor Vieweg, director of global business for Amazon Leo.
